The Happy Ever After Job
by shabbytiger
Summary: Set after my fic: Not Gone Fishin'. Eliot & Parker pairing from Leverage. So, what happens now? How do these guys deal with the reality of being them and being in love? A discovery by Parker also leads to a new kind of job for the team. Rtd M for content
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing :(**

**So, this is set after my fic Not Gone Fishin'. **

**No road trip sorry folks! ;) (Not yet anyhow)**

**It's gonna be more about the reality of happy ever after I guess. **

**Let me know what you think, reviews are golden, and feedback the lifeblood of this place!**

**This could just be a one shot?**

/

"That was freakin' awesome." Eliot could not withhold the grin splitting his face as the team walked into Nate's apartment. Things were back on track. He was healed; fighting fit and full of a renewed vigour with each new job. The last had been a particular success since they had managed to get the client payback and also some jail time for the corrupt banker foreclosing on homes in order to make money from the land sale. When a job involved busting heads too, Eliot thrived on the adrenalin and competitive edge such bouts fed and it felt good.

"If you say so Van Damme." Hardison rolled his eyes and usually Eliot would take offence but in this case, he slapped the hacker on the back with a wink.

"You saw those splits huh? Dude's got issues but the classics are the classics bro'." Man he was feeling no pain. Beijing felt like a bad dream, and his apartment was his own again and Parker was...well Parker. Still sexy and frustrating and -wait, gone. He glanced around and tucked his hair behind his ear as Nate and Sophie settled in the kitchen and H logged on to chat to Holly. Where the hell was the thief?

"Anyone seen Parker?" She could vanish between one blink and the next that girl. Had been quite a bit lately he realised, though she was always a law unto herself. It's how they worked. She did her thing and he did his and each accepted the other's quirks. Well, maybe he wasn't quite so tolerant of hers at times. Patience was not his strong suit as a rule, unless the job required it. He frowned thinking back on the job. Parker had been a little crazier than normal, convinced that the land the banker was after had treasure buried in it since Nate made the mistake of saying X marked the spot at some point. Eliot had set her right, and gotten less and less gentle about it as the job progressed. But she didn't take it hard. She never really did. Just smiled at him, with those big blue eyes he loved seeing first thing every morning.

"Weren't you listenin' man? She said she had to go see about a cake." Hardison replied without looking up and Eliot paused. Had she? When?

"A cake? What the hell for?" It was ten o clock at night. Parker's sweet tooth was epic, but even so, he'd have made her pancakes if she wanted. It was always worth the effort too, since Parker was always extremely happy after pancakes. His torso tightened and midriff clenched at the images Parker and pancakes inspired. He had adrenalin to burn and making love with his thief was his favourite way to do so. It had been days since they had-

"Dude it's Parker." Hardison shrugged, concentrating on the screen of his laptop, then the hacker glanced up. "Maybe it's comfort cake since you stole the pirate treasure dream from her pretty hard today man." The hacker raised his eye brows in a disapproving manner, and Eliot bristled.

"Whatever Hardison. Parker's fine." Having his behaviour toward his girl friend questioned pissed him off. He and Parker had their own thing, it didn't need any interference. That said, he could not recall her mentioning cake for the life of him, and that made him defensive. But Parker knew how he got on jobs, and their work had only been compromised a couple of times since they got together. Those occasions had all been to do with Parker taking risks he felt were not necessary. He was a grumpy intolerant bastard but he was confidant that Parker had not taken his harsh words too hard.

Still, he felt awkward with the hacker making judgy faces at him, and looked over at Nate and Sophie, scowling when Sophie caught his eye. Shit they were all doing the reproving thing.

"Did she say anything else?" He tried for nonchalance as he snagged an apple from fruit bowl on the kitchen side but Sophie just offered him a haughty look in return. What the hell had he done? Uncomfortable with the vibe in Nate's apartment he reigned in his temper as he tried to figure where Parker was. Maybe he should let her be? She'd come to him when she was ready, she always did. Something about the team looking at him rankled though.

"You know Eliot," now Nate waded in as he turned and leaned on the bar between them, hands clasped,"seems to me you're having to ask a lot of questions you should already know the answer to."

"What the hell does that mean?" The hitter shoved his hair back with both hands, and rolled his sleeves up before crossing his arms. Sophie leaned on the counter next to Nate, a cup of tea nestled between her palms. She took a sip, cast a sideways glance at Nate who just shrugged and then she answered.

"Well you know Parker's not really been herself for a few days. Obviously you've noticed." She laughed and rolled her eyes. "'Course you have. Not as though you've been completely self centred and wrapped up in your Rambo like tendencies now you're back to full fitness or anything." She smiled so sharply it cut him, and then she took another sip of tea, her eyes big and innocent over the rim of her cup.

"You guys really need to-to-" Eliot floundered as the truth of Sophie's jibe hit home. He grabbed his jacket from the sofa as he made his way to the door, pointing at Nate and Sophie who looked like a matching set of poker faced judges leaning on the counter.

"Forget it." He slammed the door behind him feeling about as dumb as a box of nails. Blunt nails.

What an ass. He got in his truck and palmed his cell, calling Parker. No answer. She rarely answered so it wasn't a weird thing. She just showed up when she was ready. But something tugged at his chest as he recalled her fragile smile when he shot down her treasure chest ramblings. Why did he do that? Cursing himself, he headed off down town, to the 24 hour super market, wondering what the hell Parker wanted a cake for and why he hadn't been listening. The first was a mystery, but the second not that hard to work out. Sophie was right as usual. He had been pretty self absorbed since his rehab had paid off. Parker had helped so much, training with him at his place, driving him to his appointments since his legs weren't up to the constant pressure that foot pedals required, it was too specific and his thighs burned like bitches when he tried. He had been so grateful, but being able to do things for himself again couldn't come quick enough for him. He was who he was. He needed that independence, and assumed Parker did too. She didn't stay every night. He caught himself sometimes, before "Stay" slipped out. In all honesty it made him feel like a chick, being the one to want her around all the time. Since being able to drive himself, maybe he had been making a point. Who to, he wasn't exactly certain. Himself? Parker? The team? Ah shit.

Now Parker was roaming around in need of cake late at night after he'd been a dick for days, and he had no idea why, or where she was. Great going dip-shit. Parking up in the 24 hour store's car park, he was half hoping and half dreading finding Parker there. If she was, great, but then he was guy who had let his girlfriend wander around Boston at night rather than pay her any attention and give her a ride. If she wasn't, then, he had no clue how to find her and knew the knot in his chest would not unravel till he found her. Just to see her face and make sure she understood he was just readjusting to doing stuff alone again, and he was a grumpy ass who loved her, treasure insanity or not.

Forty five minutes later, he returned to his apartment. She was no where. He had tried every store still open, every jump spot, her place, Nate's...man he had called her about a dozen times. He was probably getting tickets for speeding all over Boston the pace he had driven. He was long past feeling chicked out. He was onto worry for some reason, as his distant behaviour and gruff demeanour replayed over and over with every passing minute. He really needed to be less...Eliot sometimes.

Parker was sat at his breakfast bar, and scrambled to her feet when he closed the door behind him.

Her eyes were swollen and the blue irises so light they pierced him. He tossed his key to the side table and there was a strange hesitation on both sides, before he opened his arms and she launched into them, wrapping her legs at his waist. He recalled the first time she did that for some reason, and how he had been all blasé about it. Truth was that it had floored him back then, that she chose him as her first target on release from rehab, and it floored him now. This time he held her tight, running his hand over her hair. Which smelled of lemons, not coconuts. He gripped her tighter.

"I need a cake. Eliot will you bake me a cake? A little one?" She made the request into his neck, her damp lashes tickling his throat and a lump formed as her small voice reached his ears. He wouldn't ask why. He had not really earned the right to do that with his jerk head on the last few days, hell the last few weeks. She would tell him why she wanted what she wanted in her own time.

"I'll check what I got, but sure. You want it chocolate?" He kissed her, relief flooding him as she kissed back, her lips soft and eager. He was walking a tight rope with her and suddenly he realised it. She broke away and shrugged, resting her head on his shoulder as he carried her to the breakfast bar and sat her down on the counter. She held on.

"Doesn't matter." Now that had him curious as hell. Since when did chocolate of any kind not matter to Parker? She let him loose as he began to gather cake ingredients, and her small sigh as she gripped the counter edge and stared at the tiled floor made him wince.

"You wanna help?"

"I never baked a cake before." She said it warily, as if talking about taking the controls of nuke armed submarine.

"Well lets add cake to your omelette recipe shall we?" He grinned keeping it light, tired, but not about to let her down. Since he had told her how good her eggs were she literally came up with a new variation every time since. The Parker special, you never got the same thing twice. Chillies had been an ingredient he hadn't been expecting to pop up, but it had worked, and her delight at her success was lovely. She hadn't made omelettes in a while either he thought with a twang of worry.

"Okay sure." She shrugged and watched as he laid out the eggs and flower and hopped down to fetch the butter and sugar for him. She seemed fragile in the stark lighting and her black clothes only added to her ethereal pale colouring. He paused at the counter and caught her chin in one hand.

"I was a dick about the treasure thing. You mad at me?" Her answer really mattered.

"What? No. And it doesn't matter cos I found it anyway, wasn't hard." She frowned in reaction to his query and then smiled, all clever thief like.

"You found it?" Astonished, Eliot leaned in and kissed her lips. She was so damn sexy in thief mode.

"Yeah. S'what I do. Find treasure." She did the duh face and he caught her in a hug. They hadn't had a midnight feast for way too long. "I need the cake before midnight. Will it cook?"

"Uhm.." Eliot glanced at the time."We can make cup cakes. Will that work?"She cocked her head and thought about it. He wanted to ask about the treasue. Man she was a puzzle. A twisty gorgeous puzzle.

"So long as it gets icing and a candle."

"Darlin' I don't have any candl-" Parker withdrew a small pack from her shirt pocket, as if she kept them there at all times in case of emergencies. Which may well be the case, her clothes were like Mary Poppins freakin' bag the amount of stuff she squirrelled away. He grinned and kissed her. She bit his lip and tugged, sucking his bottom lip in a way that had his hips rolling. Cake. She needed a cake.

"Parker, first we bake." He pecked her forehead, letting go reluctantly, and then wondered how he became a man who said shit like, Parker first we bake, and be cool with it. He was going to melt her later. Kiss her senseless and slide inside her like-

"Teach me sensai." She nicked a clean cotton tea towel and made a bandanna of it and he almost stopped her, before noting how cute she looked. She was smiling, yet she was not at full beam. He would work out what was wrong. And fix it.

"Okay Parker san. You weighed that? Cool. First, you gotta sieve the flour. Yeah, wait-over a bowl Parker, not just-" He sighed as a flour cloud erupted into both their faces as she poured the flour and banged the sieve at the same time, totally forgetting a bowl to collect it in.

"Oops." His temper flared and dissolved in the same moment as she stared at him, bandanna askew and flour all over her. His heart swelled at her worried expression. Was he such a dick that she assumed he'd bark? Yeah. Yeah he was.

"It's fine, we'll start again." She seemed surprised, and it stung. But her smile in relief was so sweet he kissed her again, harder this time, since his ideas for later were making his pants tight and he groaned as she met his tongue with hers. Foxy, crazy, cake needing Parker. "C'mon, we'll get this done in no time trust me."

"I do."He glanced at her as he re weighed the flour.

Her affirmation should have comforted him. But it didn't. Because he knew, suddenly and without doubt, that she didn't. Not like she once had. Not like before. But she would, he decided as they hustled in his kitchen. He'd earn it back. A freakin' cake at a time if necessary.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Okay, so its my birthday today :D, and I figured since you have all been so awesome and supported this idea in a way that makes me mushy, I'd finish this chapter and post as my present to you.  
><strong>

**(An adventure may be brewing in the next chapter- it's bubbling away lol)**

**Also, shout out to rozabellalove for her fic on lj, which totally got me thinking...**

**(You should check out the Parker_Eliot comm BTW)**

**Reviews are yummy and calorie free. Just sayin'. ;)**

/

The cupcakes were ready by twenty to midnight. Eliot stifled the urge to ask where she was going, as she hooked herself to the line she had rigged to the side of his building, and watched as she sat on the window ledge, her legs slender in tight black jeans. He felt nervous and he wasn't sure why. Parker may well be one of the few women on the planet not to judge him unkindly for having confectionery sugar in his cupboard. And vanilla essence. So the weird anxiety was throwing him for a loop. She had put a couple of the cakes in her back pack and looked like a cat burglar going off to work with her pack up.

"So, you coming back tonight?" Jesus, he really had said that. Buy him a skirt and call him Ella. Christ, he stared at the floor as he tried to compose his features, rubbing at the bridge of his nose with one hand. Right now he had a feeling he looked like a whipped puppy looking for a treat. Not a good look. A man in love could still have his pride god damn it.

"I don't think so." Oh. O-kay then. He felt winded by the four words and looked up, brow furrowed as he tried not to allow the pained reaction to show. He was cool. He'd just baked a batch of cup cakes and still had the damn apron on, but yeah, he was cool. Shit. Parker was avoiding his gaze anyhow. "I could be a while, I don't want to wake you if you're asleep."

"You won't wake me." It was an automatic response, as he processed her quiet words. Belatedly he was aware how needy it sounded and he smiled, all easy like. Nothing to see here, oh no. Not laying myself emotionally bare at all. Nope. Man, why was this so hard? They had said they loved each other, slept together for three months now. Why did it feel like this was all brand new again? And not in a good way. Not in a sharing a shower way. In a strip my heart from my chest and whip me bloody with it way. He closed his eyes.

"You wouldn't mind?" Jesus her effort at nonchalance sucked as bad as his had earlier.

"What? No." His eyes sprung open, startled at her query. Mind? What the fuck was that about? Before his mouth could open to find out, she grinned, a real honest to God Parker grin, and nodded, in that determined way she had sometimes, and she swung from the ledge to hang there in the night, and he felt like Mary Jane to her Spider-man. It was disconcerting, and his palms clenched at his sides.

"Cool." She vanished. It took him seconds to reach the window and look down, but she was no where in sight, then he heard her zip line and cranked his neck up. The roof. She was going to the roof and had talked about needing that damn cake by midnight. Whatever she had going on, she was doing it on the roof, where he maintained a small garden, for a few cases of Bud a month to the building manager. He stared up the side of his building, the stars few and far between and the chill in the air on his skin stark after the heat of the kitchen. He wanted to give her privacy. He did. He would wait, all night if he had to. Yeah. He walked back to the kitchen, and noticed that Parker had washed up whilst he had sorted the icing out for the too warm to ice really but never mind cup cakes. Her make do bandanna was folded up neat on the side. He should give her some privacy, he told himself, even as he was ripping off his apron and heading for the door at a jog. Just one look. Just to make sure she was okay. Yeah that was acceptable. Totally.

/

She was sat cross legged on the concrete, just near the planters he had up here. There was only so much a man could feed himself when limited to a kitchen window sill. Up here he got to plant in long low custom built planters, and the extra space meant he lived on more than basil, coriander, chillies and cress. She was still, and he watched from the roof top doorway uneasily, feeling like he shouldn't be spying, yet damned if he could go without figuring out what she was doing.

Bunny was with her, set to sit opposite, as if they were both in deep conversation. Shit. Eliot didn't needed Sophie or a psych degree to know that Bunny meant trouble. She had carried it around, however discreetly for the first fortnight he was back from Beijing. Whispering to it when she thought no one was looking. Irrationally Eliot felt a surge of jealousy over the stuffed toy, then felt like a dick for it. The damn bunny knew her secrets. Why couldn't he? Then he scented the burning candle, and crept closer, wondering what was going on. When he heard Parker speaking he almost swallowed his own tongue trying to remain silent.

"I said I was sorry I was late. But you got cake. Didn't I say I'd get you cake?"

"Who? Eliot. Yeah, he's a great cook." Eliot felt proud and smirked then realised his skills were being complimented to an inanimate stuffed animal. It was late man, and he was losing it big time.

The one sided conversation continued in hushed tones.

"Chef? Why? That's stupid. Cooking is cooking. Oh, _o-kay_ girls are cooks and boys chefs. Whatever. Loser." Parker made the L sign at her forehead toward the rabbit.

"Happy birthday. I miss you. I wish-yeah. I know." So soft those words but so damn telling. Eliot wanted the ground to open up and let him vanish. He shouldn't be doing this. It was too personal. Too fucking heart breaking tell the truth. Her earnest chatter tore him up.

"Huh? No I have not, I just can't be there all the time. I stay with-"

"Well yeah, it's always been just us but-"

"I know you wouldn't. I know. He doesn't mean to be-"

"U-huh, u-huh, yeah but I got the treasure, I bought it home and showed you. Yeah that was cool. What? No, he couldn't help he was busy. We're the team. You and me. We don't need back up hombre." She high-fived the bunny. "Always. I just need-"

"Of-course we would if- You'd be my partner. No way, seventy -thirty. Are you kidding me? Well sure you're fast but I'm the talent. Am to. No _I_ stole that-okay now you're just making stuff up."

A laugh like wind chimes echoed across the roof and Eliot wanted to un hear every word. This was Parker naked. Stripped raw. And he had no right to it without her permission. Oh man, he should have known what the cake was for. Literal Parker, was literal. If she needed a candle...his throat was thick with emotion as he watched his lover converse with her lost brother, and a moment of clarity seized him. He had abandoned her like everyone else. He had broken his own promise never to leave her behind. He had failed her, yet she stayed. Because she loved him? Or had she simply adjusted her expectations of him? Which freakin' sucked if true since he knew for a fact she had none in the first place. Now she was making herself a smaller presence in his life because he was a selfish ass hole. Would he mind if she slept over? Jeez. Did she think it was still all about sex? How had he not noticed how wrong things had gone for chrissakes? Fuck, he could live with a lot of punishment, take a beating, survive torture-but he couldn't make Parker less than she was. Yet the treasure thing...he just barked her down. Made her quiet. Boxed her in. Eff him.

He slipped from the doorway and made his way to his apartment, flicking on the heating as he passed on the way to his bedroom. _Their_ bedroom. It was cold up there, now autumn was chewing up the Indian summer and spitting it out.

He undressed, thinking hard, and climbed into bed in boxers, head buzzing. Her late brothers birthday. He should have known that. Jesus had she tried to tell him and he blew her off? What a wake up call tonight was. He hadn't gotten an hour without delving into panic with her gone, gut churning with the unresolved issues between them, only just realised by him.

How the hell had she coped when he was in Beijing? His stomach clenched at the thought of losing her that way. Having her vanish for a few hours when he thought they were cool was one thing, but this was the first time he had really thought they had problems and he had sweated after forty five minutes with no contact. It made him mad, and in turn that made him a selfish son of a bitch. How could he be mad she had survived what he wasn't sure he could? At least in Beijing he knew she had the team. Her safety hadn't been a major concern and that had eased his time there. If he hadn't had that comforting reassurance, he would have flipped. The knowledge was uncomfortable and burrowed into his gut like a burr in his skin. He fisted the pillow by his head and stared sightlessly at the ceiling.

/

Parker's lithe frame slipped beneath the covers an hour or so later. He didn't fake sleep. He rolled over and caught her face in his hands and kissed her with all the pent up emotions that had swarmed his veins as he waited. She gasped and giggled, but he was serious. He caught her eyes in the dim light of the bedroom, and the aroma of melted wax and icing on her lips combined to remind him of secrets he shouldn't know. She was cold to the touch, and he wanted her warm.

"You said I wouldn't wake you." She whispered with a small smile followed by an uncertain frown.

"You didn't." He assured her hoarsely, his thumbs circling her cheek bones as he held her face. "Parker, you don't need permission to sleep here darlin'. You know that right?" It came out gruffer than intended.

"Yeah I guess, I just thought if we weren't..." She made that clicking sound with her tongue and rolled her eyes sideways, her secret sign for sex, that everyone knew meant sex and she thought was totally subtle. It killed him. "That I should just go back home."

Home. She had been at home here whilst he recuperated. Been comfortable, just dropping by, staying over. He hadn't meant to push her away once he was healed. Yet he had somehow.

"Parker darlin' you can come here and sleep hanging from the freakin' rafters, if you want."

"I thought bats creeped you out." She grinned, and nipped at his thumb with small white teeth, his playful thief. He wanted to ask about a million questions but she was warming up and smiling and so he returned the nip on her lips before answering instead.

"They were Common Vampire Bats Parker, and it was once. Seriously who could not be creeped out by that?" He would not be labelled a coward over one bat related ick moment. Hell no.

She shrugged and he grinned.

"So, this treasure you found." She stilled beneath his hands but he forged on, tone light. "Wanna tell me about it?"

"You really wanna know? It's not normal treasure. We can't fence it."

"Sure I do. Wait, what kind is it then?" Now he was curious, as she nestled by his side and lay her head on his chest, below his chin. Her legs slid against his, and his groin began to wake up and notice. A lot.

"I could...show you. If you come to my place tomorrow?" Wow, her voice wobbled and her fingers traced patterns over his chest, tickling the hair there. He tugged her head back and stared into her face.

"You inviting me over to see your etchings Parker?" He teased, warmth flooding his limbs as she smiled. Once she hadn't known what the hell he had meant by that, but after a thorough demonstration she soon caught on.

"Maybe. You interested in my etchings then?" He dipped his head and kissed her, rolling her beneath him, feeling her body mould to his as he pressed in and kissed deep. She was wearing a bra and panties and her breasts were soft and full at his chest. Her legs hooked his and she rested her feet at the back of his thighs as he reared back, his hands planted either side of her head.

"I am interested in _you_ full stop." He left the rest unsaid as he stared at her, hoping she heard what he was saying, even if he hadn't shown her in a while. Her eyes lit from within a little, then dimmed and she smoothed her hands over his biceps. He had told himself they wouldn't do anything if she came back. That he would hold her and make her feel safe, but man she was doing her hip shuffle against his cock, and parting her lips as she lifted from the bed to capture his mouth in a hot slow kiss designed to suck the sanity right out of him. Fuck it made him dizzy.

"Thank you for my cake Eliot." The sincerity of her words, coupled with the arcing intimacy that sizzled in the moment tipped him over, and as she fell back onto the bed and her hair splayed out he abandoned any plan that did not involve being inside her. Immediately.

"Any time Parker." Then words got lost as he kissed her and let one hand balance him as the other stroked her side all the way to her hip, cupping her ass and pulling her to his erection. It was slow and soundless but for gasps and noises secret only to him, _for_ him, as he fastened his mouth to her breast, pushing her bra aside, and he made love to her like it could be the last time and he wanted to remember every curve of her body, every crease of her skin, every delicate spot that made her tremble and shake and tug at his hair. When it was over, and she lay with her arms flung out, and skin glowing with perspiration, he took a moment to study her as he walked to the bathroom.

He had held back from quizzing her, from trying to wrestle her secrets from her. He wanted her to give them freely. He wanted her to know she didn't just have bunny to rely on. He had healed fully, but he knew that for Parker, the wounds his actions had caused to their bond were still raw. It was evident in her shuttered eyes after they came together, when he kissed her throat and he felt the vibration in her skin of words unspoken. He wondered how he could not have noticed them missing before. He wanted those words back.

And he wanted them to be as true as the day she first said them.

/

At Nate's, Eliot hauled Parker onto his lap despite her laughing protests and when she tipped forward to grab her bowl of cereal- the fourth so far that morning, from the table, he got a waft of coconuts from her hair, and his heart growled. Better. It made him feel better.

Hardison began to run it, and Eliot switched to work mode, since this client had been waiting longer than most already and tried to focus, but damn if all he could think about was Parker on his lap, check shirt and jeans as sexy as hell, and her treasure that wasn't treasure. He shook his head and lay a hand on Parker's hip. It settled his mind, and calmed his erratic thoughts.

"You know that guys FSB right?" The team swivelled to face him as he pointed to the dude on the screen. "Tattoo poking above his collar. Yeah zoom in man, no the other guy-really Hardison you think he's a member of the Russian secret police? Seriously? C'mon."

The room erupted with questions and he put aside bunny and treasure related musings.

Work first. Then play.

/


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**So, my brain turned left as I wrote right and I'm gonna go with it and see where it gets me. And Eliot & Parker!**

**It's sort of exciting lol. :D**

**Feedback makes me happy. So read and review? Thanks!**

/

"Really? You wanna do this?" Hardison nodded solemnly and Eliot grinned and rubbed his hands together. "You're sure now?"

"I am tell free and living large bro', bring it." The hacker death stared him, and the hitter rolled his shoulders and shook his hands out. Well all right then.

"On three..._three_."

The rock, paper, scissors battle commenced.

Eliot won, despite Hardison insisting on best of nine. It was still nine-zero. Hardison groused about it, but a deal was a deal. Nate shrugged and spread his hands wide, when the hacker appealed for a ruling.

"You wanted the deal so you could get off early and download Doctor Who. The deal stands." Nate gave H the you shoulda known better look and the hacker's eyes widened.

"So i's like that then huh. I am the weakest link goodbye? Hurtful Nate, Tha's just hurtful." The hacker and boss continued the easy going bicker but Eliot stopped listening.

He almost felt sorry for the hacker with a pile of fake emblems to sew on the uniforms the team needed later in the week, but Nate was right, H offered the deal. Loser goes solo. They had spent the morning planting bugs in the marks offices, and Parker and Sophie had started planting the hook at lunch time. Parker had been nervous about her role, but with Sophie at her side, she killed it. The whole point of Parker's success was that she was invisible and didn't get caught. Of the five, she had far less experience in handling marks. She was the best thief he knew. Her marks shouldn't, and didn't know they'd been had till she was long gone. Nate forgot that sometimes in Eliot's opinion. Not that Parker complained; if she wobbled, it was a short lived moment she snapped out of quickly. Her nerves switched to excitement and she loved dressing up. Just imagining her in the twin set and pencil skirt she was wearing today made him clammy. She looked like a primary school teacher. One who would totally discipline his ass if necessary. Exiting the van he made his way to a spot by the hotel entrance, out of sight behind some shrubbery and waited for her to emerge. He had spent the afternoon shadowing them around the conference whilst Nate and Hardison were monitoring from the van, but the mark was gone and they had achieved all they could for the day. Time to take Parker home. Well, he corrected moodily, her place. _Not_ her home. That was with him. The territorial thought should worry him he figured as he waited, watching attendees at the conference file out, but it didn't. He loved her. He had loved and lost before, but that wasn't happening with Parker. She was inside his heart and head too deep, even if he was a dick about showing it. _He_ knew. He just had to let her know without scaring her off. Parker wasn't the type of woman you claimed. She was too independent, and too used to being let down to trust such a promise and he had already broken enough of those. So he had to show her. He just wasn't clear on how he was gonna do that yet.

"You ever gonna tell him what his tell is?" The blonde thief owning his thoughts grinned as she approached, and he hooked his thumbs into his jeans pockets as he watched her sway in the heels she swore were trying to kill her. Trying to kill him more like.

"Are you?" He responded with a raised eyebrow, and she giggled at that and hooked an arm through his as they strolled toward his truck, parked the opposite end of the forecourt to the van. He wondered what they looked like, the blonde ice queen in tweed and the guy with a check shirt, pony tail, beanie hat and gruff demeanour. They made an interesting pair he decided as he saw their reflection in a car window as they passed.

"And give up the advantage? Playa please." Her Jersey accent was so at odds with her cool blonde preppy attire he choked on a laugh and she grinned, knocking his arm playfully with her shoulder. Her vest and cardigan were maroon cashmere, and she looked edible, with her hair loose and a small black bow clip just above her left ear, pulling her hair back and to the side. So damn pretty.

"You guys know I can still hear y'all right? " Hardison's peeved voice travelled through the comms and Parker pressed her lips together and made a whoops face. "This is tantamount to bullying in the workplace and y'all better believe I will take my complaint to-"

"Children," Nate's gravelly admonition cut the hacker's tirade," play nice. Wait why am I even still listening to this-" His comm went silent.

Good point thought Eliot and slipped his ear bud into his pocket as Parker did the same. They shared a smile. She skipped instead of walked and as they climbed into his truck, he wondered if he should ask or just drive to her place. As he hesitated, she saved him the decision.

"Still want to come to mine?" She sat with her seat belt on and hands clasped in her lap as befitting her outfit and he nodded, stuck for words suddenly. The scent of summer seemed to invade his truck as he tugged off his beanie, and he breathed it in deep.

"Did you forget where it is?" She eyed him curiously as he zoned out and imagined her in glasses and in full dominatrix librarian mode. Oh man. The tweed tight skirt was killing him. He shook the base urges away and coughed as he started up the truck. He really needed to stop with the kinky fantasies. Though Parker did love her outfits. No. No more thinking with the little brain. But it was hard, so hard, since no matter how distant she seemed emotionally, she always melted in his hands and in bed they communed like their bodies shared a secret language. Which was hot and addictive, but damn it wouldn't win her trust back. Fuck, he realised as he let her fiddle with the radio till she found a song she liked, if anything it would keep their relationship right where it was rather than address their lack of intimacy in other areas. Jesus, he felt like he should buy a subscription to O magazine and watch Dr Phil. Listen to him. But as much as he snarked on himself, he knew it was real. The need to connect in a way they had before he crapped all over her trust. The sex was gonna have to stop, or it would become their default setting instead of talking when things got tough. Ah man. Maybe they could start that tomorrow. He swore at himself. Man the hell up. You can go without for the greater good.

"This skirt is way too itchy, I have way more respect for Sofe now, all the stuff she has to wear? Nightmare." As Parker trilled nightmare, she tugged at the skirt and he flashed a glance at her hands tugging the damn thing up her thighs and bit his lip almost in pain. Parker proceeded to shimmy from the pale mustard tights that Sophie had insisted completed the look with the burgundy heels and Eliot had not disagreed, though naked legs were always good too. . .Oh lord Parker was sliding the slinky tights off under her skirt and she managed to make rummaging beneath the tweed look hot as hell before rolling the stockings down over her smooth bare legs and he uttered a prayer to the God of kinky thoughts to cut him a break. When she slid her heels from the shoes and stretched her legs on the dash to tug the silky fabric off her feet after the slowest removal of tights in the history of hosiery, he almost exploded.

"Are you freakin' kidding me?" Here he was trying to be saintly and she was performing a stocking strip tease, less than a foot away. Inches away. Damn.

She glanced over, eyes big and peeking through her fringe as she wriggled to get comfortable, her bare legs now tucked under her on the seat and she looked through the window curiously.

"What I miss?"

"I -uh- The idiot didn't signal, that's all." Yeah, like he was even venturing into the truth on that one. Hey Parker, could you please stop being so damn screw-able in every way whilst I try to convince you that I am trustworthy and not just a sex crazed bastard? Hmm. Not the winning tactic he was looking for. They turned into the estate that housed her building and overtook the car he had accused of not signalling. Parker wound down her window and gave the poor guy the finger and a death glare.

"Driving is not a psychic exercise spam head!" She turned from the guys baffled and frankly terrified expression and beamed at Eliot so brightly he needed to squint. Who knew that psychotic and twin-set could be such a good look on a person? Hey Parker, apparently I find random and unjustified acts of road rage hugely erotic, please refrain from such activities till I've convinced you to love me again. He bent his head and smashed his forehead against his hands on the steering wheel lightly. This was going to be rough.

"Spam head?" He couldn't help the bemused query popping out as he parked up a couple of streets from her place.

"Sophie said it the other day. Isn't it the best word? Spam. _Spam_. Hardison says its junk mail and Sophie says you eat it. I like its diversity. Spam." She said the last spam with a French accent and shrugged, like what is spam? I do not know, all frenchified and thoughtful. Eff him she was hot when contemplating the philosophy of canned sandwich meat.

He opened his mouth and then closed it. Sometimes with Parker you just had to let shit go.

"Treasure time Parker." Focus Eliot. They took the long way through the streets to her unit, and Eliot scanned the area, conscious of keeping her location secure. Sure no one would ever pass her security, but when she stepped outside all bets were off. It was weird seeing just how isolated the area was,as if through new eyes, and he didn't like Parker living here. At all. It was eerily quiet but for the hum of machinery from the industrial units all around. His hackles rose. It felt off. Cold and mechanical and nothing like the place his girlfriend should be. Huh, hadn't used that term in a while either. A shiver swept his soul and his skin broke out as he tried to sound casual.

"So, you still carry the ring Parker?"

"What ring?" Kill him now. Our fake wedding rings you cold hearted thief of my pride didn't exactly sound chilled. Or casual. Man he was starting to sweat. Maybe he should just kiss her. "You mean this one?"

She pulled out a chain, _the_ chain, the butterfly necklace he had bought her during their non burglary spree in Tiffany's a million years ago, from beneath her cardigan, and waggled it at him,. Next to the silver butterfly was a plain band, dangling by her thumb. He felt so relieved he grinned and slapped her on the shoulder. Because apparently he was a schmuck when it came to this shit but he was a happy one, and didn't care.

"Yeah that's the one." He stood shielding her from view as she punched in a code to her building. She spun about so quick he nearly crushed her into the door as he stepped forward.

"Why d'you ask?"

"I just did all right? Sheesh, can't a guy make conversation?" Eliot rolled his eyes and followed her into the hangar she called home. Only the lights above the centre gave any kind of illumination but his eyes adjusted to the dark as they crossed the unused space. The fact that she was wearing the necklace was making him all kinds of distracted, and his skin was burning and tight as his thoughts collided into one another at top speed. Did it mean she was all in still? Was it just a pretty necklace? Was she being a magpie or a girlfriend? Fuck this was harder than he had anticipated. For a man used to being good at reading people and situations in the space of seconds, when it came to Parker and the depth of what they shared, he floundered like a fish out of water. It pissed him off.

Bunny sat pride of place on her single bed, surrounded by her planning boards. It made him reach for her hand and thread his fingers through hers so their palms kissed. The thief's Spartan home was such an overt expression of who she was it hurt to look at. How the team had been shocked by it when they all first met here trying to find her that time blew his mind. Did they expect throw cushions and chintz? The blonde whirlwind glanced at him and squeezed his hand before letting go.

Parker threw herself in a spin onto her bed and he hovered beside it, oddly feeling like a guy in a girls room while her parents were downstairs. He swallowed. They were naturally physical with each other now, and it was an actual effort to restrain from reaching for her. The depth of just how stupid he had been in the aftermath of his recovery made him want to hit things. Sometimes the hardest lessons weren't learnt overnight. His lone wolf mentality had taken a hammering but it still remained an irrefutable part of who he was. Balancing that with another's needs wasn't going to just happen.

Parker patted the coverlet and gave him a coy look. He sat down on the edge of the bed and thought supportive thoughts. About her skirt. He totally supported that skirt. It was silk lined. He just knew it.

"You know," her arms wrapped about his neck from behind and he closed his eyes, determined not to be distracted, "I never had someone on my own bed before."

"Really? Never?" He couldn't help the surprise in his tone, then realised it made sense. Her and H had never actually...yeah stop that thought before it got messy. His hands fisted on the bed by his side. He managed to stop himself from asking if she wanted someone _in_ it with a suggestive leer. Because that was inappropriate on so many levels. Yet extremely pertinent.

"I never asked anyone over before" She kissed his throat as she pressed up to his back, on her knees now, her hair pouring over his shoulder as she leant in, touching his nape either side of his ponytail. His nape was electrically charged from her proximity. "I think I like visitors."

"Visitors? Gee thanks Parker," he huffed as he twisted to allow her mouth access to his throat and jaw, closing his eyes and tipping his head back as her hands crept round to unbutton his shirt. Wait. Fuck. He was supposed to be gaining her trust back. Not...oh Jesus she was moving her hands to his fly and raking her nails over his abs and he stood abruptly, running a slightly trembling hand over his hair. She looked up at him from her kneeling position on the bed, and he bent down and kissed her hard. Had to. Then let her go, her expression quite possibly mirroring about as much turmoil as he felt. What was he doing?

"Should I have said guest?" Bless her crazy ass heart, she cocked her head and screwed her face up, trying to work out why he had bolted and he pitied her because he didn't get it himself. Just knew he had to slow this shit down.

"Forget it darlin', I'm just, that is, you were gonna show me your treasure remember?" Oh God please stop kneeling on the bed. Right now. He picked her up and plonked her on the floor to stand beside him, wrapping an arm about her shoulder and kissing her forehead fiercely, letting his lips linger before pulling away and clearing his throat.

"Oh, treasure!" She clapped and skipped from his arm and his chest bruised as he realised she hadn't even been thinking about the damn reason for him coming here. He was torn between feeling flattered and irrelevant. A freakin' sex himbo. Eliot Spencer was disturbed by being seen as a sexual object for possibly the first time in his life. That was usually a total win. Mood swiftly darkening, he sniffed curiously, noting the tang in the air as she returned with a chest in her hands from behind one of her charts.

"Where the hell d'you dig this up Parker? It smells like gas." He took the wooden chest from her hands and breathed in its scent. She frowned and shooed him off it, lifting the lid since she had picked the lock.

"It was buried near the demolition site, probably got leaked on by the diggers. So not the point here Eliot. It's what's inside that counts." Utterly focused on the chest and its contents in his hands he wondered if she even realised what she'd said and how very much that _was_ the point he was getting. And trying to make.

"So what's inside then? What's so un-fenceable?" He was curious he had to admit, trying to peek over the lid as she dug in its depths.

She pulled out a handful of jewellery and he frowned, trying to look closer.

"Parker jewellery is easy to pawn man, what's so different about this?"

"Because its sentimental. Look," she dangled a charm bracelet up to his inquisitive gaze and pointed to the inscription carved into a silver disc alongside the tiny charms, all animals on the chain. _To Sarah love Mum. _Her misty eyed awe at the words had his gut flipping, and the hair on his arms raised.

"So you found a box of memories from this girl Sarah?" He understood why the sentimental value of the jewellery pieces meant something to Parker. She didn't have such things. Wait, she did now, he reasoned, thinking of her butterfly set. That would always mean something special he hoped. his head throbbed and he put the box down for a second.

"Seriously Parker can you smell that?" He rubbed his head shaking off the gas stench. She glanced at him strangely.

"What? No. It was buried awhile dude, cut it some slack already. And hey that's what's sooo cool. There are loads of names in here. It's like a memory box of a family or something. Look." She showed him some more pieces, but his skin had gone cold and his head was throbbing suddenly. What was she saying?

A necklace with half a heart, inscribed for Jo from Henry. A ring with a dedication to Ivy from BB. all different styles. Different metals. He felt sick as he caught her hand and eased the sparkly items from her grasp. She looked at him aggrieved.

"Honey, I don't think it's a memory box." There was no family name, no ornamental effect to the wooden chest. It was nondescript. It was dark. Oh god. Parker what did you find?

"Duh, 'course it is. What else could it be?" Oh man don't say it Eliot. Not when she looked so innocent all blonde hair and blue eyes and in her safe place. But he wouldn't lie. Not if it was what he was pretty sickeningly sure it was.

"Sweetheart, I think it's a trophy box." She snorted, rolling her eyes and slapping him on the arm with a laugh.

"Eliot what kind of trophies do sparklies make? What stupid game has this as trophies?" She picked up the chains again, and her eyes were wide and honestly bemused and he hated being the guy to shatter that look. He pressed her hand down and loosened her fingers from the chains she clutched.

"The worst kind Parker." She dropped the remaining jewellery with a hiss and blanched, horrified as she stared at the chest on her bed. Her hand reached for her throat and held her on necklace between her fingers.

"Oh my god." Genuine shock replaced her playful tone, and she backed away from the bed, into him, as he tried to think of a way to make it better. And came up short. She turned to face him, eyes huge in her pale face. The dark that surrounded their spotlit space seemed to seep into him, and he felt his skin prickle. There was something...

"What do we do? Eliot what do we do?" Her panic and pain hurt him so bad he crushed her to him, even as she smacked at his chest, and he let her before hugging her tight and breathing easy only when she un froze enough to loop her arms about his waist. She was so small but buzzing with an internal conflict that trembled outwards. It wasn't fear. It was shock and rage. He knew it well. Before he could form a suitable reply as his head swam with possibilities his brain fired on all cylinders and he looked toward the door through the black, and held her tighter as smoke began to trickle under the door and waft across the emptiness, grey and ghostlike in the gloom.

Fuck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Thanks for the support guys, you all rock.**

**Read and review? Hugs! (Parker's POV will happen, just not yet. :))**

/

"Eliot is my building on fire?"

"Yeah. Looks like it." Eliot began to scan the interior only to realise that Parker was way calmer than he could have imagined in this scenario, though she wasn't really one to panic as a rule anyhow, this was her place. She seemed eerily focused. Disengaging from their hug, she jumped up and tugged at a cable hanging from the ceiling that he had barely acknowledged, presuming it to be repelling gear. It was a light switch, that once pulled lit up the entire the hangar space.

Wow. Eliot took in the view and whistled. Parker kept the place dark for a reason. She had stuff everywhere. A motorbike. Easels he knew she used as they were half finished abstract pictures, a pile of car parts and doors, as if she practised picking locks, which she most likely did. Balance beams, gymnast rings, man the place was like a thief training ground, with safes of all kinds dismantled and rebuilt. Parker wasn't hanging around and he realised she was as paranoid as him when she flipped a switch near her bed that set dozens of fans set about the perimeter in motion, blowing the smoke back. Huh. He gave her an appraising look as she harnessed up. As she fastened her kit, she pushed her fringe back and looked at him.

"I have a history with fires." Like that explained her precautions. He nodded, impressed. Okay.

"This isn't rigged for two, I gotta go up and pull you, so put this on and get ready." She flung a larger harness at him, and he squinted at it. It was way too big for her.

"You get these in XL now?"

"I made it for you," she said it as she hooked herself to the line she unravelled from the roof, that had been tucked into the lights and he blinked. She had made him a harness. He felt warmth flood his chest, then got it together, the building was on fire. Time for that later. If he thought about anything but getting out right now rage would cloud his mind and he would be no use to Parker at all. His Parker, who someone had just tried to burn a-fuckin'-live, in her own home, his ribs creaked and muscles tensed as he dragged his razor sharp rage from the brink and squinted up to the ceiling.

"Parker, the building's on fire, the roof may not be the safest-"

"The exterior is flame retardant. It's the smoke that'll kill us, the fans are just buying time. Don't you trust me?" Huh, she just asked it straight out. He wondered why he found it so hard to do the same. Looking up, he saw the mezzanine landing that circled the building and knew that's where they were headed. No stairs led up to it, she probably practised her jumps from the damn thing. He could just see her, head up, arms raised in perfect symmetry, in her element. Then her words hit.

"Flame retardant? Seriously?" Eliot attached his specially crafted harness and raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes and tugged her line. Her skirt was bunched up and her outfit wildly inappropriate for what she was doing but her eyes were sharp and expression familiar. Parker at work. A fighter. He was going to find whoever dis this and-

"Told you, have a history with fires. Get ready okay?" And then she was gone.

Eliot took a second to think, and coughed as the smoke began to waft over the fans, finding a way back in since it had nowhere else to go but up. He stared at her space and Bunny on the bed and her bespoke equipment, feeling fiercely protective and impotent to do much else. So he got to work.

When she dropped the line back down, he attached the coverlet filled with everything he could scoop inside, the chest, Bunny, her harnesses, and the cloth lining the table with her hand made gear had been unceremoniously dumped into the centre of the duvet as he wrapped it up and tied it to the line. He tugged and called up.

"Go."

"Eliot why aren't you attached? What the hell are you doing?" She yelled down and the words echoed about the space. The bundle winched its way up, and he peered up to see her pale face amid the rafters as she stood on the landing and hauled ass with the line. It was getting warmer and greyer in the hangar, and he willed the bundle to rise quicker. Not that he was worried. He coughed lightly.

"Quit whining Parker, it ain't that heavy man. We got time it's fine." He called up and she grumbled as she finally pulled the bundle onto the floor at her feet and threw the line back down. Heat was rising in the hangar now, despite the lack of flames and his skin was perspiring and getting smoky as he wiped his forehead and caught the cord.

Hooking himself on, he manually climbed using the secondary line as a pulley, and felt her easing him up too, to compensate for the weight difference between them. Which was a lot. The smoke was rapidly filling the hangar now, and when he reached the landing he stared down as he unhooked his harness from the line and let it swing away.

Parker poked him hard in the arm and he flinched, scowling and rubbing the bruised area.

"Ow, damn it Parker what was that for?" She poked him again.

"When a building's on fire you don't stop to pack Eliot, you take what's most important. What is wrong with you?" She crossed her arms and he grabbed the coverlet bundle and pulled Bunny out.

"So you'd happily lose this huh? It's not a big deal Parker." Eliot shoved Bunny back in the bundle and lifted the sack onto his back. He had figured she'd be happy not to lose her things but she was pissed and he didn't have time to work out what the hell he'd done wrong now. They needed to jet. Fast. "So which way?"

"There." Parker pointed to the end of the landing and he squinted, making out a door. Up here. She really did plan well. He glanced over his shoulder at her and allowed her to pass and lead the way across the landing, the heat radiating from the walls rapidly increasing. Flame retardant. He kept thinking it.

"What you got tucked away up here anyhow? A jet pack?" He teased but was only half joking. Her hangar now fully lit looked like the bat cave for fucks sake, and those fans whirring away were dissipating the smoke but not clearing it. It just regrouped elsewhere, but the measure was still a considered one. A history with fires huh? It sounded like something he'd maybe want to bring up at a later date he thought, worried by her zealous anti fire set up even though it was probably saving their lives. He stopped when she did at the door and she glanced over her shoulder, face streaky now with sweat too, and smoke that poured up the edges of the corrugated wall. Someone was going to pay for this. He breathed shallow and fast, drawing on the calm centre he channelled during battle.

"No jet pack. Sorry." She sounded cold and he had no time to question it as she tapped in a code at the door and it swung open, to reveal a fire escape. Fresh air and the scent of the fire washed over them both and they gulped in the air, grateful for it, as though smoke had tainted it, it was less strident than in the hangar. It seemed surreal to see the sky above, and be dealing with this in broad daylight, though the fire was discolouring the pale sky and turning it a charcoal grey as black smoke billowed up wards.

"A fire escape?" Eliot was unsure that could be it. This was Parker after all. They stepped out, and faced the flames that circled the entire building. Red and yellow tongues were licking at the walls but not burning them, and the fire had spread backwards as a result, as if alive, and searching for more edible food. The band of gasoline on the ground was a dark stain beneath the bright amber flames, and the flames reflected on Parker's face as she turned to him hands flung in the air.

"Yeah its a fire escape. We are on fire and need to escape. Sorry, is our exit too traditional for you?"

Her sarcasm was hotter than the damn fire. He shrugged and shook his head. Sirens could be heard in the distance and he grimaced. There was a lot left in the hangar the fire wouldn't eliminate and would leave Parker exposed. It irritated him to be stuck in such a situation and unsure what do about it.

"Calm down already, I was just sayin'. So halfway and jump right?" She frowned at him, then nodded, glancing down and judging how far they'd get before the flames reached them. It was do able. Just.

"Yup, it's a drop and roll. Sucks, I kinda prefer you down there waiting to catch me." She sucked some fresh air in and made an ah well face, with her mouth tugged in to one side as she contemplated the drop. Oh man, he caught her nape, dragged her head to his and kissed her. She tasted like smoke and salt and Parker, and he loved her for her bummed out comment. He was desperately trying not to think of whoever had done this, since that was counter productive to getting out, and he needed to do one before finding the other after all, but as her mouth opened under his and her hand clung to his wrist and the other cupped his jaw, he felt rage bubble up and squelched it. Someone had tried to hurt Parker. If he thought on it too hard he may explode. They had compromised her safety on so many levels it was fucking him up in a damaging way, his urge to protect screaming in his veins.

"I'll go first, that way I can catch you." He withdrew and gasped the promise at her, determined to get one thing right at least. She had no time to respond and he charged down the metal staircase, avoiding the frame since it was scorching, and trusted that she would follow.

Still too high for comfort, he paused, the flames now batting at his feet. He had to jump out and wide, and gathered himself, flinging the bundled sack out before ripping off his shirt. The bundle landed beyond the flames, sprawling on the concrete and he breathed deep as he tore his shirt in two. Using one half to wrap about the smoking metal of the bannister, he wrapped the other about the stairs above, so he could hold on without blistering his hands and held on tight as he climbed to balance on the escape railing, ready to jump in just the wife beater beneath his shirt. Parker touched his back, her fingers light. He looked down at her and smiled.

"We're cool Parker, when I tell you to jump, you fucking fly all right?" Man the thought of the flames getting her was freaking him out and his heart was pounding like never before. She nodded.

He leapt out, and heat and smoke smothered him before he sailed into clear air and the concrete whooshed up to meet him. Shit he landed hard. He heard his body hit the ground and his ears roared with his heartbeat as eh rolled to his feet, the flames about her building still raging. Oh fuck it looked worse from down here. He could hear people coming, as the units still in use spilled their employees as the sirens shrieked through the air. He had to get her gone. When voices called to him, he yelled at them to get back, staring up at Parker's form as she followed his lead and climbed up onto the railing, and he hoped the shirt kept her hands burn free, his own were sore but not blistering yet. A thief without her hands...that would be unbearable for her even for a short while.

"Now!" He ordered, feet planted ready to catch her, and she nodded, her hair a pale flag against the backdrop of the fire as she hurled herself off the fire escape. His heart was in his throat as she sailed above the flames and then she was in his arms and he staggered back at the force she hit him with, and he held her to him with every ounce of strength he had as relief swamped him, almost taking his knees. Fuck this was close. Too close. He rained kisses on her face as she held on, and then his wits returned as she was trying to escape his embrace.

"We gotta go." Her words were all business. He nodded mechanically. Right. She stared at the building with a haunted expression that hurt his chest to witness, and he glared at the curious workers edging the scene, though there were only a few of them, since this area was mostly abandoned since the economy nose dived.

"Parker, we gotta do something about-"

"On it." She sighed and slipped her hand into his. "Run!" They did, and he swept the sack up as they past and they both flew to the ground as she yelled to those others present, "It's gonna blow!"

She clicked a remote control clipped to her harness and blow it did. The entire structure rocked as the interior erupted, and the flames swooshed outward then sucked back, and her home, her sanctuary was destroyed. He was proud of her foresight and saddened that she had to have it, even as they scrambled from the scene toward his truck through the streets.

Breathing hard as they clambered in, sirens closer now, they both paused and then Parker turned to him, eyes bright and fierce and he shrank back from the rage on her face. Good, he thought grimly, sharing the emotion as he started the truck and got them the hell outta there. Some fucker was going to pay for this. He was going to hunt them down and kill them. No question.

The she spoke and he was more confused than ever.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Parker's next up to bat, I promise! :)**

**So, read and review and make my day? If you like. No pressure. :)**

**/**

"For future reference Eliot," oh, wait, she was pissed at him? He glanced over at her, as they passed the fire truck hurtling past at speed, and swallowed at the raw raging vulnerability she was staring at him with, her eyes wild. "I can live without the freakin' Bunny. It-look I can survive losing all that stuff. It's important but I can deal. I can't lose you again. You got that? I can't do that again and I hate you for making that a possibility for even a second! What the hell is wrong with you?"

His stomach lurched and his entire brain fried. Yelling. She was yelling at him and smacking his arm. What? He hadn't been trying to be a damn hero, just lessen her loss. Yet her words were haunted and sad and angry and stung him somewhere deep. His eyes bore into the mirrors as his paranoia rocketed. They weren't being followed. He was vigilant and amped and raw as he put his foot down.

"Parker I wasn't tryin' to upset you darlin' I just figured you'd want me to save what I could." Man he was messing up again. And he was drowning in confusion as he drove, so sure she'd be happy to have Bunny and her kit and-

"Eliot you're mine. _Mine_. You don't get to do that. Make choices without me. _For_ me. I'm running out of ways to tell you this, and and you just aren't getting it." Tears, fuck, he heard tears and couldn't bear it. She sounded so lost and tired. What the hell had he done? "I don't know how else to show you. To convince you that you matter and I hate it. Hate it! What am I doing wrong? I don't know how to love you more and it's like it's not enough. I just can't be what you need can I?" She was sobbing, and every word and tear broke his heart. Jesus. She didn't give a fuck about her home, she was in tears because of him and his mistakes and lack of understanding. He had thought she didn't want to be claimed, when it's what she desperately wanted. _Needed_. To know she belonged to somebody, and they belonged to her. How had he been so fucking blind to that? His own fears over loving so completely and being rejected for that had coloured his perception that's how. Shit.

He took a hard right into a side street pulled over. Breathing hard and churning with fear and love and hope, he forced himself to look at her.

"Parker I didn't think you wanted to be _mine_. I didn't think we would-" Man it was hard, his throat thick as she stared at him, eyes swimming with tears and still soot streaked and ragged. And beautiful. So beautiful. She hiccuped as her sobs subsided and stared at him, lashes wet and eyes huge.

"I get it. You're getting fed up with me, like after your legs got better and-"

"No! Parker I was a jerk about it, so caught up in being whole again I took us for granted and I'm sorry." He sucked in a sharp breath, throat full of glass. "I didn't think you'd want to be tied to me all the time when you didn't have to be."

"Why? Why would you think that? After everything with Scarlet you still don't get it?" Her voice wobbled, and she hiccuped again as she smacked his bare arm even as he reached out to stroke her cheek, fingers shaking.

"Honestly? Parker I love you so freakin' much it hurts darlin'. I want you in my bed every night and in my kitchen every morning and I got so used to having you around it scared the shit out of me all right? I'm not a man used to needing someone Parker and I need you in my life just to get through the fucking day and you are wild and clever and free and I am a grumpy aggressive prick and how could you want me half as much as I want you?" He closed his eyes as ridiculous tears stung as his heart welled painfully and he forged on. Now or never. All in. His thief interrupted before he could say anything else.

"Eliot Spencer you are a dick." Ouch. Nice, spill your guts and get walloped- her small body was suddenly straddling his and he opened his eyes to stare directly into hers. "I told you you had to let me love you back remember? We're a team now aren't we? You're mine and I'm yours right? Isn't that how it's supposed to work?"

"Yeah. I guess it is." His gruff agreement made her smile, though her eyes were sad, and he kissed her and she clung on like she couldn't ever get tired of it, and he felt his heart shift and expand to swallow her whole, hopeful that maybe she wouldn't. Because he was never getting tired of this. He could never have enough. It was unthinkable. His wise crazy thief who filled him up and bled him dry so easily. God her face was wet with tears and he could taste salt in the kiss.

"We're lucky Eliot. I never thought I'd have anyone else who was mine again." He froze, knowing she was talking about her brother. It touched him unbearably as she nestled her face into his neck. He stroked her hair, not daring to speak as she burrowed in. "And we have work to do, you know that right?"

"Work?" Did she mean the con? "We're supposed to be on in the morning Parker, but you'll stay at mine, and everything'll be-"

"I mean the chest. We have work to do with the chest. The fire was started because of it you know." He did. The idea it was a coincidence was laughable and not one he even considered. Someone had watched her steal that chest and followed her with it. They had set the fire since she was inside. Fuckers. His hands fisted at her hips and he clamped down the automatic response.

"So we'll hand it over to Bonnano. I'm sure-"

"Eliot I moved it. I moved the box. How can we prove it was there now? How can we tie it to the killer now I did that?" God her guilt was palpable. He squeezed her tight, and kissed her eyes as she leant back in his lap.

"Okay, so we'll do some legwork before handing it over. Try and prove it came from that demolition site." The idea of finding the guy first was appealing. Not that Eliot had any intention of not doing so anyway. Now though, he would have to be honest with Parker about his intentions. As it should be he realised. They were a team.

"Thank you Eliot." Parker whispered at his throat again and he growled, wanting to love the sad right out of her. He kissed her slow and sweet and she hiccuped again and it made them both laugh, even as he wiped her tears with the rough pads of his thumbs.

"C'mon thief of mine, let's go home." He buzzed internally as she smiled at his endearment and climbed off his lap into the passenger seat. He stared into his mirrors, checking for suspicious movement, and took a convoluted route home, switching plates discreetly once parked up at his apartment. Parker watched in approval. He shouldered the sack and once inside, locked up, dropping the makeshift bag to the floor.

The apartment felt familiar and he was relieved to have Parker safe inside even as the air was tainted with the aroma of smoke that clung to them both. What a day. A Parker day he figured ruefully. She must feel wiped out and shell shocked after the drama of losing her place, even if she was a trooper. She was still fragile beneath the steel he was realising more and more. She felt deeply. He bent and pulled Bunny from the bag, and handed it to her, and she stared at the stuffed toy blindly, a small smile on her face.

"You wanna shower and I'll cook?" He threw his keys on the side, suddenly aching and head full of darkness as he felt viscerally aware of the chest and its contents now sat in his home. It was a bad business but they would deal with it..,he just hoped they came out okay on the other side. They would. They had to.

"I guess." Parker walked to the sofa and sat bunny there, as if he was watching TV. Then she walked back, and stood in the entrance of his apartment, and peeled off her harness, then twin-set, then skirt. He blinked and watched, eyes hooded. She stared at him, scuffed and smeared and slender and _his_. He thought about the sex ban he had just decided to initiate and then about their conversation in the truck. It was difficult when she was standing in her underwear and staring at him like a woman with a point to make. Damn.

"Uhm Parker, I was thinking I'd make pasta. That okay?" She shook her head.

"No. Get over here hitter, you owe me." Jesus that was hot. And scattered the darkness clouding his mind like a tornado.

"Owe you?" Damn he was getting hard as she stared at him, and he raised a teasing eyebrow at her, more than willing to get seduced and lose himself in her. More than willing to lover her body senseless so she wasn't sad or scared any more.

"Yeah. You made me cry. So now I want you to kiss it better." She watched him as he swallowed, throat dry and heart racing. Sometimes her fearlessness was unnerving. Sometimes it scorched his soul.

"Kiss what better exactly, darlin'?" Not that he cared. He'd fall to his knees and kiss her toe to top if she asked him. His cock twitched and his spine crackled with desire.

She undid her bra and let it fall. She put both hands over her heart and stepped up to him, her breasts so tempting his throat closed and his mouth worked furiously as his breathe grew shortened.

"My heart stupid."

Like he could ever say no. Her request touched him and turned him on and the air between them buzzed. He tugged off his vest and dropped it to the floor, and smiled at her, before bending down as her hands moved and pressed his open mouth to her rib cage, just below the up slope of her breast and kissed her slow. Her hands undid his ponytail and ran through his hair, gripping his head to her skin.

"Better?" He asked her as he teased the soft underside of her breast and his hips rolled as she mewled.

"Getting there." She hissed as he tongued a hard nipple, and he bit down gently, aching as she tugged sharply on his hair. He swallowed her nipple in his open mouth, suckling hard, and it grew swollen in his mouth, under his tongue. Fucking amazing. His hands found her waist and then cupped her backside, utterly enthralled and eager to please her. To own her.

When she forced his head from his ministrations, and met his mouth, with fire and faith combined, he scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. He made it up to her over and over till she knew as clear as his mouth and hands and hips could make it, she was most definitely his, and he was hers.

She crawled over him, stamping her own claim and he was loud and passionate in response, and she giggled and sighed and filled his heart impossibly wide, as they lay in each others arms, naked in skin and stripped of barriers much harder to remove than clothing. The bedroom was free of the shadows the chest had bought into their world for those hours, and Eliot knew it mattered. To not allow the chest and its secrets to consume them completely.

"So do I still owe you?" He asked teasingly when they finally wore each other out, her head resting on his chest and his hand running over her hair. His ribs expanded and his limbs hummed with weary satisfaction, and she nipped his skin in answer.

"Always. That's all right isn't it? To owe me always?" His hands paused and he nodded, then found his voice, gravelly as it was.

"Yeah Parker. Always sounds about right."

/

After a shower and dinner, they sat up in the living room, and spread out the contents of the chest, carefully and with tongs, though Parker had already touched them , better late than never should there be trace evidence. It was sad, but necessary. Eliot had called Nate and Hardison to let them know Parker was okay, since the explosion had been reported on local news, and to assure Nate they'd both be in to continue the con. Though that had been a taut discussion with Parker he had not enjoyed at all. She was right, they couldn't abandon it, but he was torn between her safety and the good of the team, and he had a sinking feeling it wouldn't be the last clash they had on such an issue. He and Parker hadn't decided whether to share the chest yet. It seemed sacred. He understood Parker's concern and sense of responsibility to the victims who had once owned the jewellery. Moving the chest was akin to moving their spirits, and she was pretty clear that she was going to do all she could to see justice for them done.

As Eliot took pictures, to catalogue the individual pieces so they could hack the FBI's database and the missing persons files to see if they got a match, Parker logged on at the lap top Hardison had tooled up for him, and he glanced over, curious when she hummed busily at the keyboard.

"You got an idea Parker? Like where to start?" He felt a little overwhelmed at the anger all the inscriptions wrought in him, and at the evil that had done this. He hated that Parker had found the chest, yet at the same time, who better? They would hunt this fucker down. They would. The fact the fire had been set meant this was a guy still alive at least. Still operating though? Man that was a chilling thought. Maybe Bonnano should get an anonymous tip...yeah, Eliot began to plan then looked up when Parker high fived herself. She did that sometimes.

"Got him. Kinda." Her eyes were fixed on the screen and the expression she wore chilled him. Parker was already personally invested because of the attempt on her life, but that wasn't what enraged her. Her innocent joy at finding treasure and having it tainted by evil has split something open in her that he was scared may never fully heal back up. She felt complicit in the crime somehow, and though he had tried his best to divest her of that idea, he also understood her reasoning. He also felt like an accessory to the darkness surrounding the chest, just taking the pictures and it was a sickening sensation.

"How?" Jesus that was fast what the hell-

"I have cameras with remote log in on the roof. I just accessed the last few hours. I got him pouring the gas."

Eliot almost broke his own legs in his rush to the laptop screen. He watched the figure on the screen and grinned viciously. Yeah it was grainy, and the figure was well covered but it was a start. His clever paranoid thief. A swell of pride in her robbed him of words for a second as he watched the replayed clip.

"Please tell me we can use this?" She looked at him so hopefully he nodded. Though he wasn't entirely sure.

"We can, but honey, we need Hardison." The hacker could do some crazy good shit with this, he was certain of that. And honestly, the weight of the team on this would ease his mind. Perhaps give them a plan on how to best approach this. Involve the police now, do some legwork then hand it over, or just find the fucker and wreak Eliot justice on him? There were victims to consider, the families...this wasn't a con. It had far deeper consequences for the victims, and the mark wasn't a mark but an honest to God monster. He had dealt with them before. But having Parker exposed to it worried him, as he was well aware there was shit from her past that could be bought up because of this. And didn't that make him want to pulverise things? He sensed her determination about this, her burning need to see justice done. And her calm was as worrying as her crazy in this case, he didn't want her to bottle anything up, but couldn't force things out of her either. He had to tread carefully. This was new territory, and he really couldn't foresee how his thief was going to cope with whatever this stirred up. He just knew he had to be there for her, and try his best not to smother her with his own anxieties. Which were running pretty fucking high right now.

"Okay." She frowned and he hugged her to him, her hair tickling his abs as he stood beside her in the chair at his desk. He wanted to crush her to him and tie her to his side so he could keep her safe. But his thief wouldn't have that. Belonging to each other and controlling each other were entirely different things and he would need to curb his tendency to freak out over shit. He was pretty proud he hadn't lost it during the fire frankly. Being professional had never been an issue, but in highly volatile situations, he was conscious he may not be able to act objectively when it came to Parker. The team would be a great help, soothe his frayed fucking nerves for a start. He wondered how Nate managed to be so cool on cons with Sophie, then thought about the bank, and when Nate got shot. He hadn't gotten out when he should have. Eliot wouldn't have left a team mate behind either, but now, he wasn't so sure he could keep as cool as Nate and not blow the con too. Shit, he wanted to call Nate and tell him he and Parker were locking the doors and stuff the con, but that wouldn't do, it wasn't who they were.

"We tell them then?" He asked, knowing she had to agree, before it was a done deal. This was her mission. Her choice.

"We tell them." She sighed, then stared back at the screen. "But after the con. We can't split focus."

"Deal." His shoulders felt lighter, and the dark receded slightly.

This con could not end quick enough.

They had a killer to catch.

/

Later, in bed, she screamed so loud it took him almost five minutes to soothe her from whatever nightmare tore her from sleep and elicited such a horrific sound from her. He wanted to climb inside her head and pound on every monster lurking there, and trembled with the vicious need to make them go away. Instead, they got up, and as the day began to break, turning the sky outside from black to indigo to dusky pink, they trained, side by side, as he taught her moves to channel her fear and rage as he had needed to once. To channel it into something graceful and pure.

It wasn't much. But it seemed to help.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own Nothing. **

**Sorry haven't updated quicker-r/l and lappy issues. ;)  
><strong>

**Sucky week, but it's Saturday. :)**

**Read, review, rant, whatever...tis entirely up to you. But you make me smile by clicking review, and sharing your thoughts, so, it would be nice if you did.:D**

xxx

Parker watched Eliot as he cooked in Nate's kitchen, cloth thrown over his shoulder, hands busy. The con was done. They had pinky swore that they would wait to tell the team, and he had kept his word. His eyes found hers constantly amid the usual chaos of Nate's after a successful job, and his presence eased the bubble of panic that had been lodged in her chest since they got back to Nate's. The scent of tomato and basil and garlic filled the apartment and fresh warm bread. Her stomach refused to take the fragrant bait.

Sophie was arguing with Hardison about an on the spot grift he had to pull to get them out of a jam and Parker concentrated on breathing. Funny thing breathing. You had to remember to do it for it to work.

Needing a distraction, the thief watched Nate. He was rarely not in control. Always had multiple back up plans, always had an angle. Always had poise. She totally wanted that right now. She watched him closely as he sat at the table and studied paperwork, even as he listened to every word being said in the Big versus Flash argument raging between Sophie and the hacker. He observed a lot, their Mastermind. She did too. Thieves by nature were watchers. It occurred to her as she studied Nate however, that he observed everything. She struggled with that. She heard words and missed expressions, or saw a gesture and streamlined it, wanting to know now, understand now. Nate let things unfold, and pieced his knowledge together over time, accumulating the information and filtering it only when situations forced his hand. He didn't meddle, she realised, he managed. A skill she would love to possess, if only to get through this, the treasure chest problem. Managing other people's emotions and issues was a step to managing your own right?

Dinner was served, and she helped Eliot divvy up plates, grateful that he made no issue other than a gentle growl when she grabbed cereal for herself. He seemed to get it though. Cereal was automatic comfort food and she needed it right now. No one else seemed to notice, or at least think it strange.

The meal passed in companionable banter, with Hardison getting flack due to his flamboyant characters he reached for whenever in a bind. The Ice Man was mentioned, repeatedly, with Eliot doing a piss poor impression of Hardison's London geezer. Parker supplied the one line she could do from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, with Sophie once again despairing that Americans had cloth ears where the British accent was concerned. Nate smiled and teased, but mostly watched.

Parker zoned in on him, conscious of Eliot's subtle glances her way. Nerves frayed, she munched through the box of cereal and avoided his concern. It made her feel raw. And she needed to be steely. She waited for them to finish eating, willing them to chew faster, though Eliot's food wasn't really to be gobbled down. It was savour food. And they savoured. Slowly. Her jaw ached from her own constant crunchfest.

"I believe Parker has something she'd like to say." Nate's words halted the group leaving the table as cutlery clattered and wine was polished off, before Parker could make her own announcement. Right. She looked at the Mastermind with cool eyes. She wasn't a package for him to "Run." Eliot nudged her elbow gently, not to rush her, but to reassure her as subtly as he knew how. He was shredding his beer bottles label, and memories warmed her, before she placed the cereal box on the table and coughed. The team all looked, apart from Eliot, who was staring at the bottle in his hands.

She read the curiosity from Sophie and Hardison, and felt infuriated by the patience from Nate.

Then she got it.

She moved from Eliot's side, at which point he did look at her, puzzled, and she sat at the table head opposite Nate.

She steepled her fingers and leant back in her seat, letting her stare encompass the entire table.

Sophie went to speak but Parker held up her hand. Sophie closed her mouth and looked at Nate, who simply tipped his head and waited, a small smile on his face.

"I found something. Something we need your help with." Eliot nodded at her, taking a swig of his beer and Hardison looked baffled as hell.

"Found what? You know about this? What in the-" He pointed at Eliot who glared at him from across the table, before slamming his beer down.

"She ain't finished Hardison, settle down." Sophie made a face at Eliot who flared his nostrils in response and all eyes turned back to Parker, who used the interruption to fetch the chest from it's stashed place behind the sofa. Now she placed it on the table and stood behind it, hands hovering above the lid. She hated it. It had already tainted her. But she straightened her spine, and stared at them, one by one, waiting for their full focus again. Eliot nodded, trade-mark frown in place and she continued.

"This is serious guys. I need you to shut up and listen." Phew. She breathed through her mouth, then channelled her energy into her explanation. "The last job, well I found treasure after all. X marks the spot. Except, it's ahh _problematic_. Eliot called it a trophy chest."

She lifted the lid and using the tongs Eliot had left inside, extracted items as efficiently as she could under the bemused gazes of all but Eliot, who knew exactly what she was displaying. Having laid out several pieces of the jewellery, the group leaned in to get a closer look. She let the contents sink in a moment, before sitting back down and moving the chest to the floor. Hands folded in her lap,elbows on the arm rests, she settled back in her seat and crossed her legs.

"I assume you are all familiar with the concept of trophies in this context?" She raised an eyebrow, and Sophie made a squeak.

"Is she doing-" She bent to Nate who frowned, a worried look on his face, cutting Sophie's whisper off with a firm nod. Sophie hmmm'd and took a sip of wine.

"I'm not." Hardison raised his hand, his big eyes casting about as he tried to work it out."I got no clue what y'all are talking about." Eliot glanced at her before answering the confused hacker.

"The stuff in the chest isn't all from one person. Different dedications on each piece." The hacker tried to process that and Parker waited. It wasn't the kind of thing you said-as Eliot had done with her, it was an understanding you had to reach, because of its very nature. Eyes widening, Hardison shook his head, revulsion writ large on his features.

"Ah hell no. No way man. No freakin' way." He shook, as if to dislodge whatever images the revelation had implanted." N'uh uh, we ain't no Criminal Minds y'all, we're Robin Hood for the_ i_-generation. You wrong."

"It is what it is man." Eliot sounded as prosaic as ever, but Parker watched as he shrugged a little, and saw it, the flash of helpless despair in his eyes as he raised his bottle and drank deep. Wow, she totally would have missed that as Parker. The sight stung, and she realised with a shock that she had witnessed that stark emotion before. On Nate's face. Late at night when he was drinking, and staring into a past full of maybes and what ifs. Huh. Nate had been broken by one almighty personal tragedy, that snapped him open and left him angry at the world and it's maker. Eliot, she thought, heart painfully tight, had been broken piece by piece, witnessing the tragedies of strangers all over the world, leaving him angry at the world at its inhabitants. The monsters in plain sight. It hurt to think that so she used the reflective pause to speak again.

"We believe that the fire at my place was set by the owner of this chest. Happened days after I found it, so it's unlikely that-"

"Now hol' up a minute, that's no freakin' reason to go all Nancy Drew and suspect serial killers and shit. Man Eliot has a Revenge Inc after his ass, that fire could have-" Eliot interrupted the hacker's tirade furiously.

"Whatchu sayin'? That I put Parker in danger? That I don't fuckin' know how many people want me dead? You think I'm not vigilant about that shit Hardison? That what you sayin?" His icy rage was palpable, and Parker wanted to touch him, to soothe him. He was more aware than anyone how dangerous being with him was she thought sadly, pissed off at Hardison for inferring the fire was his fault somehow.

"Not that vigilant else y'all wouldn't have made the news as two unknown individuals escaping a freakin' inferno." Hardison wasn't backing down and Eliot went to rise, apoplectic now.

"It wasn't Revenge Inc." Parker informed them both, but Eliot didn't move, eye-balling Hardison from where he now stood across the table. The hacker stared back and didn't turn when he spoke.

"You don't know that Parker."

"Yeah I do." She raised her eyebrows and forced herself to be calm. No point hiding it now it was relevant she figured. "Scarlet gave up the account numbers and all she had on Eliot's ahh, _buyers_, she made a deal to turn states evidence about the other work she did for them once they were identified."

"But Scarlet didn't know who they were?" Sophie was baffled by that, and Parker grimaced as Eliot turned shark eyes on her. He was waiting. She swallowed and spread her hands wide affecting a smirk.

"She did once I told her."

"You saw Scarlet?" Eliot's voice was do deep it had an Australian twang and she hid the wince his sharp gaze inspired. She made a maybe face. Then nodded.

"I told her I would visit. And I did. She used what I gave her to cut a deal and those responsible for taking you from me are currently doing time in various prisons all over the world. I'll be visiting them too."

"No. You. Won't." Deadly. So deadly that warning. But she didn't care and ignored the team as she stared at Eliot, a ferocious wave of protectiveness sweeping her.

"Try and stop me." He stared at her, and she stared back, chin raised. His expression was closed, but his eyes swirled with emotion. Then he sighed.

"You an' me are having a talk later. A long, _long_ talk, you hear me?" She nodded, panic over, but knew that talk would not be fun. Then she thought about the chest.

"So, we have a chest full of sentimental jewellery items, buried approximately 5 foot deep at the demolition site, over in Grange County, and we need a plan of action."

"How do we know it's not just stolen items?No gruesomeness at all." Sophie sounded hopeful as she threaded her own locket through her fingers.

"We don't know for sure. But every single item has an inscription. Klepto's steal pretty, not particular. This is all sentimental, can't be fenced and I have never come across any thief willing to bury the stuff they stole like this-it's not hiding it for financial gain because its unsellable. Add to that the fire and..." Parker shrugged. "It fits. But we could check the missing persons database for unique personal items."

Hardison was still pissed, but nodded, features stern.

"I can do that."

"And then what?" Sophie's voice had switched up a couple of octaves as she stared at the team. "Say it's true and it's a bloody trinket box of horrors. We aren't the police. I honestly don't know how to explain this to you lot more explicitly-The only corpse I can cope with is my own. All right? This is not what we do. Nate?"

Parker had another epiphany. Sophie was terrified of death and controlled it the only way she knew how. By faking it. Glamorously and often. Huh.

"What would Parker like us to do?" Nate bounced the question right back from Sophie who did not look impressed, but Parker offered the mastermind an appraising glance. He narrowed his eyes.

"Find the victims and give them justice." She saw Eliot pause and close his eyes. Her hitter knew what that meant.

"Now hol' up-"

"Wait a bloody minute-"

"What do you call justice Parker?" Nate's voice cut through Sophie and Hardison's protests.

"An eye for an eye." That came out quicker than she planned.

"And the world goes blind?" Nate retorted, though his tone was...sad. Not horrified.

"The world is already blind. What we do proves that every day." Parker felt anger scorch up inside her suddenly. She couldn't understand the reticence of her team. "So just to be clear, the only victims you want to help are those who can walk into the bar? Sarah-" she pushed the charm bracelet forward,-"Sarah doesn't get help because she's not here to ask for it? How fucked is that?"

"Easy darlin'," Eliot smiled a pinched smile, "we can take this thing one step at a time right? Establish these are definite trophies. Everything else is speculation till we do that."

Parker nodded jerkily, feeling her anger bubble below the surface. She felt her hands tremble and exerted all her will to stop them. Eliot winked at her, and she breathed. He was on her side, she knew that. Hadn't expected the team not to understand though and it freaked her out. Being Nate seemed to channel his occasional frustration too.

"Bonnano would be ideal in this surely?" Nate made a good point, but her and Eliot had already discussed the flaws in just dropping it off at the cops door.

"Yeah. But I moved the chest. I _moved_ it. So if I just hand it over, any evidence they could yield from it's location can't be proven. It's not like I can be a witness is it?"

"I see. Yeah, that creates problems."

Parker blanched. Eliot got up from the table and walked to her, dropping a kiss on her head before going to grab a second beer. His own aggression was simmering and she knew he and Hardison were not cool. That couldn't be her problem though. She had enough right now.

"So what do we do about it?" She directed the demand at the table, and finally, the team's faces cleared, and they began to hash out what they should do. Together.

/

It was late, and Parker felt mentally drained as they entered Eliot's place. The team had agreed to help investigate the items in the chest to conform they were in fact the personal belongings of victims of violence. She couldn't think the **m** word. It creeped along her veins and clawed at memories she buried like her own chest and for good reason. She was jangling inside and Eliot's apartment seemed to crush her as she fought to breathe. Stupid really. She was safe with Eliot whatever Hardison's thoughtless words had implied. But she needed fresh air and space and yet it terrified her suddenly, a suffocating fear that stole her courage. Someone has watched her. Someone had stalked her to her place and waited and watched and it made her skin crawl.

It also made her doubt her own radar, that had not detected any danger at all. The radar that had seen her survive this long had failed and it was as if her lines had been cut mid-way through a jump.

The drop this time wasn't thrilling. It was paralysing.

"So I had an idea." Eliot looped his arms about her waist, and she settled back, knowing immediately that the chest wouldn't be spoken of tonight. Eliot was smarter than people gave him credit for she thought proudly. Her hitter. "We've been cooped up in here and you weren't outside during the con and so, I thought we could sit outside tonight. See the stars."

"In Boston? There's like a dozen stars. I count them. All the time."

"Hey twelve stars is better than none you ingrate." He mock sulked and she kissed him,and his mouth opened, and they kissed slow and hard and a buzz licked her skin dissipating the jagged anger that was feeling too familiar the last few days. "Oh you want to see the stars now do you?"

"Yeah." Parker looked at him, his grey blue eyes, and felt a sense of peace. He would still want that long talk, she knew that, but he wasn't going to ball her out tonight. He was looking after her, and despite wanting to be bullet proof, Parker ached inside as she admitted in her secret heart, that she really wanted to be looked after. Damn.

"C'mon then, we'll take a drink up, it's cold out there." Eliot the caretaker. Suddenly Parker wanted to be that and slipped from his grip and reached the kettle before him.

"I'll make chocolate." She told him airily, though she couldn't quite recall if he heated milk or water, or where the mix was.

"You will?" He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her, since apart from omelettes, she did nothing in his kitchen. Well, banana sandwiches on Sundays on occasion. She bristled.

"Hey, I can look after you. I'm capable." Parker pouted at him, then winced at her words. Oops. His brow furrowed, and he coughed.

"I think you proved that pretty emphatically Parker with your one man band act with Scarlet. I don't need you to be what you aren't darlin'. You hunt down people in prison, you don't make dinner."

"You mad?" She was pretty sure making dinner would be a preferable trait for most men.

"Disturbingly aroused tell the truth honey, but it ain't happenin' again. We do shit together. You told me remember?"

They pinky swore in silence and she sighed, abandoning the chocolate making as Eliot shouldered her aside affectionately and did it right. She itched and hovered and bounced as she tried to work off the growing claustrophobia and he hustled her to the roof with a teasing snap of his teeth.

On the roof, she saw what he had done. A hammock had been erected, and a wind breaker surrounded it on three sides, the makeshift area set up in the lee of the roof entrance. A duvet cover and pillows on the hammock made her clap as excitement replaced worry and anxiety. He sat the mugs beside the wind breaker and flipped on a small radio he had up here then shoved his hands in his back pockets. Eliot being...what? Bashful?

"We can sleep up here?"

"Yeah. I figured you might need a bit of space after-" Parker flung her arms about his neck and kissed him with all the gratitude she felt at the gesture. He got her. He stumbled back but then kissed her back, his hands soon escaping his pockets and finding her ass, moaning a little as they parted. He grinned at her, and the stars, sparse as they were shone a little brighter above. "Note to self, replace bed with hammock."

"Idiot." She swatted his arm and he bent to kiss her neck, and she sighed,gazing up at the endless black, the moon a hazy pearl glowing in the dark, seeming so close she could reach out and touch it.

They sat side by side on the edge of one of his planters and held the mugs between their palms, juts like Sophie did, and she leant her head on his shoulder. No bad thoughts could hurt her here. No memories could invade this safe haven. Not with his solid strength under her head and his scent

tickling her senses. His breathing was deep and rhythmic and her heart was beating in time with the pulse that fluttered through his skin at his throat to her ears. She craved silence sometimes. Yeah she was loud and goofy and talked crazy, but she was thief. Silence was her biggest asset.

An easy beat flowed from the radio and once they had finished drinking, Eliot swung her to her feet and rocked with her. She liked dancing with Eliot. He was a warm cuddle wrapped around her body as the cool air kissed her face, and she was safe and free all at once. Exactly what she needed. The next song pierced the night with a haunting male voice, and she tucked her head to Eliot's shoulder as the words stung her heart and soothed it too.

_I have seen peace. I have seen pain,  
>Resting on the shoulders of your name.<br>Do you see the truth through all their lies?  
>Do you see the world through troubled eyes?<br>And if you want to talk about it any more,  
>Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder,<br>I'm a friend._

Eliot held her tighter, and she wondered if he was as aware of the words as she was. If he would think her foolish, as tears stung her eyes.

_I have seen birth. I have seen death.  
>Lived to see a lover's final breath.<br>Do you see my guilt? Should I feel a fright?  
>Is the fire of hesitation burning bright?<br>And if you want to talk about it once again,  
>On you I depend. I'll cry on your shoulder.<br>You're a friend.  
><em>

Oh man, she was going to cry. She didn't want to. Didn't want tears to ruin this moment of communion, but he lifted her chin and kissed the corners of her eyes and she felt the tears stream quietly, as his lips caressed her forehead and her lashes and she shuddered in his arms. They rocked back and forth and he found her mouth, and kissed her so sweetly she could taste chocolate on his tongue and smell Eliot's clean fresh scent against the cool nip of the night air, and sadness welled within her. She wasn't sure who the tears were for. For Sarah? For the team and what she had asked of them? For Eliot, because he never quite seemed to escape the horror in the world, no matter how hard he tried? Or for herself, for reasons far beyond her grasp right now. There were so many emotions flooding her, she closed her eyes tight to push them away. Guilt, and anxiety and happiness that she was alive and with Eliot combined to heart cracking effect.

_You and I have lived through many things.  
>I'll hold on to your heart.<br>I wouldn't cry for anything,  
>But don't go tearing your life apart.<br>_

She wished rage were all she could feel. But this team, this man, had opened her up to those things she had lost a long time ago. The softer side of feeling that somehow had the power to take your knees in a way the harder emotional responses never quite could. Fury made you diamond hard, compassion made you glass. She wasn't a shatter kind of girl normally. Though had been astounded at the depth of pain Eliot's vanishing act had caused. Did love weaken you then?

_I have seen fear. I have seen faith.  
>Seen the look of anger on your face.<br>And if you want to talk about what will be,  
>Come and sit with me, and cry on my shoulder,<br>I'm a friend.  
>And if you want to talk about it any more,<br>Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder,  
>Once again.<br>Cry on my shoulder,  
>I'm a friend. <em>

Eliot didn't say anything as she silently crashed, the tears leaking beyond her control. She was grateful. He led her to the hammock, and stripped to his boxers, as if it wasn't freezing, and watched as she followed suit, though he passed her a tee shirt that she slipped on over her bra and pants. Her skin broke out in goosebumps, as the cold air hit, and she bundled into the hammock and he climbed in beside her. They stared up at the sky, and the cold barely had a chance when faced with the immense heat rolling from Eliot's tough frame. The duvet became a snug cocoon, and the slight breeze across the roof on her face was so delicate and cool, she felt content,and it was a weightless feeling, not unlike free falling. The tears stopped and the crazy confusion in her head died away as she lay in the hammock, body to body with Eliot, and sleep claimed her peacefully as the hammock swayed, and Eliot's rough fingers stroked her shoulder gently.

It was a dreamless slumber. And a screamless one.

xx

**Disclaimer: Lyrics are James Blunt: Cry. Not mine. All his.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Notes: Sorry for the delay in posting, my lappy and word or OO are currently having a dispute! It seems resolved for the moment though, fingers crossed :) I should really just get a new l/t, but I do love my old girl. :(**

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, and for being patient, hopefully I can ride this truce to keep posting as I usually do. :)**

**Also, started a thread for E/P on fanforum, and would love to chat about Eliot and Parker on the show with people if they fancy it. It's sad not having a new ep to watch Monday mornings! I miss my fix, lol. **

/

_Saturday 6 pm. Nate's apartment._

Parker stood before three white boards, and whacked her pointer to the first.

"What do we have? Hardison, you're up." She stood to the side, arms folded, hair tied back and dressed in thief chic black. Eliot raised an eyebrow at her as he ate a bag of mixed fruit and nuts and she winked at him. She was okay. Not gonna fall apart. Too much shit to do for one thing, and for another, she felt oddly cleansed. Right now she was full of fire to find the truth, if she dwelt on the murkier aspects of the chest and her role in uncovering it, she may well lose it. So one thing at a time. She whacked the pointer on the board again.

"We don't have all day H. Spill it." The hacker glanced at her and then Eliot, grumbling about bad influences and then pointed to the pictures of the jewellery on the board.

"So far, I got two hits." He moved the images around, separating the two he had further information on from the rest. A disturbing sixteen items had been in the chest. Parker frowned and concentrated on the hacker's old school presentation. He had drawn two images to the top of the board. A ring, inscribed to Ivy from BB, and a locket, empty of a picture but dedicated to Jamie.

"Both these showed up as personal effects for missing people. An Ivy Barker, and a Jamie Green."

The room went quiet for a moment, though the work all day had already confirmed they had suspected correctly, but it was as though putting names on the white board beside each picture made it official. Horribly real. Parker frowned, and nodded impatiently for H to continue.

"Ivy Barker was reported missing in November '97. White female, 34 years old, a Boston native. Sophie?"

"Oh, right, me." Sophie looked tired and sad, but Parker heard a determination beneath the weariness, as Sophie stood and sleeked her hair back, before reading from a notepad."Okay, so I googled Ivy Barker. Bit tricky since Facebook wasn't around back then but anyway, archived news articles and follow up stories tell us she was a school teacher, engaged-hence the ring, and vanished from a supermarket car park. No ransom, no leads, no indicators that it was a runaway. Case remains open but not active. We have a picture though from the missing persons database."

Hardison pinned a printed picture beside the photograph of the ring, and Ivy Barker, smiley brunette looked at them all. Her class were in the picture behind her, and the class room looked colourful and busy. She was pretty, and most likely dead. Parker mulled that over, then nodded.

"So the locket. Jamie." She swung around to Hardison, arms folded, head tilted, channelling her inner Fed.

"Jamie Green was reported missing in March '99. White female, 37 years old, from Shelburne, Vermont. It was theorised she may have gotten lost and fell in a ravine whilst hiking in Vermont, but the family didn't buy it, and no one saw her after the car park of the hiking visitors centre. Case inactive."

She turned to Sophie who grimaced before adding what she had found to the info board.

"The Green family began their own campaign for any information about Jamie, offering a reward. She was a bakery owner, married with three kids, and an avid gardener." Sophie sighed and H pinned up Jamie's picture beside the locket. She was attractive, with long dark hair and a shy smile, the picture of her on a camping trip of some sort, squinting into the sun.

"Any other's we can match?"

Nate nodded and stepped up to the board, Hardison giving up presenting duties with obvious relief. He sat on the sofa as far from Eliot as possible, animosity still simmering between them. Eliot's cell buzzed and he palmed it, smiled, then resumed studying the boards with the fierce focus he applied to the job in general. If Hardison's hostility affected him, he gave no outward indication. It upset Parker though. Hardison and Eliot were extremely close. Having them at odds with each other sucked.

"A couple of the pieces in the chest were very high end items." He moved three images on the board to prominence. "I called in a few favours, see if insurance claims had been made or even if they were on any policies. There's a database for specific jewellery items that we use so that any big hauls by the cops are cross checked and fenced pieces located as efficiently and quickly as possible."

"_We_? Still think you're in insurance Nate?" Sophie raised an eyebrow at the mastermind who coughed, and squinted. He didn't seem to find a suitable response to that so carried on, a nervous hand running through his unruly crop.

"So these three were insured as stand alone items. High value. None have been paid out on, but all three policies frozen. The first, the diamond necklace, with the solid gold G, was insured by a Geraldine Swelk. The bracelet with embedded sapphires and dedicated to Faye, by a Mr Harry Rollin. And finally, the solid gold pendant, inlaid with rubies and diamonds with the inscription My Davina, was insured by the Cartwright estate."

Parker snatched a pen and tapped the board as she wrote beside each image.

"So Swelk, Rollin and Cartwright? Do we have any more on them? When they went missing?"

"Oh, I have that." Sophie raised a hand, glancing at her notebook. "Once I had the names I ran the same news searches on each and I have pictures and details. Bloody miserable this is Parker, just so you know. I am not a bloody profiler. Do you lot have any idea how many people go missing in this country a year? Do you? It's depressing. Damned depressing. There aren't enough sodding milk cartons I know that."

They all watched Sophie with blank expressions as she let out her rant, and waited, without comment as she re-clipped her hair with twitching fingers. Parker hated to see Sophie distressed. But someone had to be these people's advocate. Once they could put together enough of a case for Bonnano and link the chest to the demolition site...Parker couldn't lie to herself. She wouldn't be backing off but the team could put it behind them at least.

"Sophie?" Parker asked because she had to. The grifter stared at her, then bit her lip and read from her scrawled notes.

"Swelk, picture here-"Another white female, brunette. The sick bastard had a type all right. "34 years old, went missing in June '98 from Bridgeport, Connecticut, though the rumours at the time were that she ran off from her wanker husband. Financial bother, all the usual rich people drama. Reported as missing but no leads or follow up stories after the first. Like they went with the run away theory."

That was sobering. They weren't even looking for poor Geraldine Swelk. Huh.

Faye Rollin and Davina Cartwright also conformed to type. White, brunette, and in their thirties.

Staring at the board Parker saw Sophie's face superimposed over the victims and felt sick.

"That's enough for today." She spun the board around and shook off the horrible sensation such a weird thought had inspired. As Sophie passed by, still grumbling, Parker caught her in a fierce hug. Sophie sighed and patted her head, but Parker broke the embrace before the woman could say anything.

"We may be getting somewhere with the victims but we aren't any closer to finding out whose chest it is." Nate's comment stopped Hardison and Sophie from leaving. Eliot hadn't moved. It was his turn to add to the information pool, and he was efficient about doing so.

"So Hardison tracked the arsonist's movements via CCTV footage using Parker's security cam as a jumping off point. I re traced his steps as far as East Somerville. I asked around, but got nothing from the locals. I'm goin' back tomorrow and"

"So what, his _gait_ wasn't distinctive enough for you to know his age, rank and file?" Hardison's tone was pure sarcasm. Eliot ground his teeth, eyes flashing. "You can't profile the guy like you can a gun from the sound of shots being fired? Helpful man real helpful."

"Careful Hardison. I'm only gonna give you so much freakin' leeway."

"Leeway? Shit don't do me any favours Eliot, you got something to say y'all go ahead."

The hacker and hitter stared at each other, and Parker wondered what the hell H was doing. Even Nate looked perturbed. Sophie squeaked. Then put her hand to her mouth, nodding and saying sorry, waving her hand from her face as if to say carry on, sorry to interrupt. It broke the tension for a moment.

Eliot stared at Hardison, and Parker saw him weighing up the hacker and what his deal was. Eliot would not engage Hardison on a physical level. Well, wouldn't want to. If the hacker pushed too far, Eliot would defend himself though, as well he should Parker thought angrily. H was being totally out of order. Finally Eliot spoke again, and made a slight motion to one of the boards as yet untouched.

"White male, approximately twenty to twenty five years old, 5'7, agile, paranoid, socially awkward, lone child, likely unemployed. Either a protégée of the killer, or the killers son, sent to collect the chest in case found during the demolition but beaten to it by Parker. Followed her to establish who and what her reasons for taking the chest were. Not a killer. Would have done it then, when he realised she wasn't going to the police and claimed the chest back, but he didn't. Most likely returned back to the killer for instructions. I suspect he had a boat moored up in the harbour and have some guys sorting me out with some security footage from the night of the fire. Like I said, I'm going back tomorrow."

Hardison scowled, and seemed so unlike the genial hacker Parker knew so well, it scared her. She needed to talk to him.

"How the hell d'you get him not being the killer?"

"Age. I didn't see his face, but definite low twenties. Trainers, low slung black jeans, lit up a smoke and puffed it like a reefer, dudes young. Too young to have killed anyone in the nineties."

"And only child? Socially awkward?" The hacker still wasn't buying it.

"He wasn't comfortable with people. Like he wasn't used to dealing with traffic let alone groups of people, did the pavement tango so many times it got embarrassing to watch. And crossing at lights there was a kid of about six stood right beside him and he didn't do the thing."

"What thing?" Now Parker asked, curious. Did she have markers like that? That told the Eliot's of the world her secrets? Probably. It was a a strange idea, that he may know her past before she shared it. But she saw the marks of the system in kids didn't she? The little things that set them apart?

"The role model thing. You know, when there's a kid there you always look left and right. Like you're passing on the right way to cross. And you wait, so you walk across together. You just kinda do it. This guy didn't even give the kid a glance and they were the only ones crossing."

Nate was nodding, eyes cloudy, and Sophie smiled.

"Maybe he's the youngest kid. Maybe it didn't occur to him." H sounded grudging.

"You can either trust me or not." Eliot shrugged the doubts off. "I saw what I saw."

"So you think he used a boat?" Parker scribbled bullet points of Eliot's observations on the second board. The hitter nodded, and stretched back, arms resting on the sofa's head rest.

"Makes sense too, the demolition site was near the lake right? Probably they didn't move far once the housing estate got totalled."

Parker nodded. Good. That was good. This was a lead. And all the names, and dates, would mean they had details to cross reference once they had a suspect pool and...wait. Parker frowned and rubbed her forehead, the marker pen pausing at the board. She wasn't really a Fed. She wasn't a cop. This wasn't a murder mystery night. Oh man, she could see a way forward, see a way toward helping the victims in that chest, on the board, but it wasn't her place to do it. If she hadn't moved that chest and just...but if she hadn't moved it she wouldn't be here now, the chest would have been hidden again and no one would be any closer to the truth...

"Guys why don't y'all go on and get a drink." Eliot nodded to the team and it wasn't a request. Nate raised a brow at the command but after glancing at Parker, declined to make waves. The thief felt her face warm up. Had she just completely zoned out again? She needed to get a grip on the weird emotions this whole non job was bringing up. Odd feelings of responsibility and guilt and so much sadness it threatened to swamp her in moments like this.

The team left, and Eliot stood, took the marker from her hand, turned the board around, and led her to the sofa. Hands on her shoulder he gently pushed her into the seat, staring into her eyes, and his own seemed clouded and the hackers parting glare toward the hitter replayed in her mind. They were friends. Just days ago. Like her and Bunny had been. That thought was too raw so she focused on Eliot and the hacker instead.

"About Hardison-"

"Nope. You and me aren't talking about H." Eliot folded his arms and made a not now-not ever face at her. She pouted, wanting to discuss it. Feeling like it mattered. In a white tee shirt and black checked shirt and jeans, he looked ferocious. Yet his eyes softened and her belly grew warm under his gaze.

"But he-"

"Parker, me and H will work it out. It's for us to do. He's pissed at me, not you so don't sweat it." He grinned at her, hair shiny and eyes crinkly and she smiled back. Sometimes his gruff direct manner was just what she needed.

"I wasn't worried about me Eliot. He loves _me, _I don't want you falling out that's all." She poked her tongue at him and he growled, dropping a kiss on her head. It was silly to feel reassured but she did. Yes the boards were horrible. But Eliot wasn't. He was real and honest and here.

"Believe it or not, I've dealt with shit like this before." He made a mock horror face. "Don't let on, but I can be a moody aggressive ass hole on occasion."

She held up her finger to pinky swear the secret and he bent down and kissed her instead and it was a short soft burst of affection that curled her toes as his lips began to move on hers. The boards were still present, but somehow Eliot had distracted her in minutes from the dark chaos of her own mind. Reluctantly he broke the kiss and sat back on his hunches so he was eye level with her where she sat, laying his hands on her knees.

"So, we could have had this chat at home you know." Parker cocked her head as he closed his eyes and wondered why they needed the team gone. "Any reason you cleared 'em all out other than my mini spaz attack?"

"You needed a minute is all. And I like bossing people about, have ya met me?" He teased, then swung his arm with the remote for the wall panels. "But mostly, the sooner I got them out, the sooner we could say hi."

"To each other?" Parker was confused by his enigmatic wink as he stretched up and took the seat beside her. Then the cell in his hand and the screen buzzed to life and she was greeted with the image of Louise on the screen. Holding her grand daughter. _Oh_. Maria had given birth the week before and some complications had meant the family had all but camped out at the hospital for days. The tiny bundle in Louise's arms gurgled and Parker felt her chest pound. The baby was home.

"Hey you two, how y'all doin'? Can ya see me Eric? Is it workin'?" She was tipping her head this way and that and squinting at the lap top she was using.

"It's workin' fine Lou." Eliot grinned at the older lady who almost glowed on the screen. Yeah she looked tired, and crumpled, but an exhausted kind of happy. It made Parker want to stroke the screen. She stood and walked toward it, fascinated by the tiny creature.

"How's mom doin' now? Everyone safe and home right?" Eliot was making eyes at the baby who stared into the screens with the largest blue eyes Parker had ever seen. Louise nodded, her giggling grimace comforting.

"Oh yeah, grandma's the one in need of a rest already. I love my boy but he is a headless chicken what with Maria and the baby, poor boy don't know where to start after no sleep for a week!"

Eliot nodded. Parker knew he had spoken to Cory last week, but it had been when she was not staying over all the time so wasn't too sure what had been said.

"Have they named her yet?" As Parker approached, she raised a hand and stroked the cheek of the tiny girl on the screen. The baby couldn't see her, but it felt like she smiled right then, and Parker swallowed feeling a little like she had been struck by lightning. Such huge eyes and small tiny features.

"Eloise." Oh. Now that just made Parker so happy it was impossible not to clap. She grinned as she whirled toward Eliot who raised a curious brow at her.

"So I guess we'll be sending her those books then huh?" He winked at her, and she sat next to him immediately, throwing an arm about his shoulder.

"Yup. Eloise, is a name for an adventurer. She's beautiful." Eliot was staring at her, she could feel his eyes burning into her profile as she stared up at Louise, and Louise's eyes softened as she watched them from the screen.

"So when are y'all gonna make it official and start making little Randall's huh?"

"Whose Randall?" Parker whispered the query to Eliot from the side of her mouth as she rocked toward him but he was silent and a little shell shocked by the forthright question. Oh wait. Parker realised what Louise was talking about in the next instant and felt her cheeks heat up. Wow. Louise took no prisoners did she?

"Oh we won't be doing that." Parker shook her head, like, dude, come on. Eliot seemed to get even quieter if possible. Parker glanced at him. "Right E-Eric?"

He didn't look at her as he spread his hands.

"Not on the cards right now Lou." He smiled a little sourly, and Louise just laughed at both of them, making Parker ponder what Eliot's reply meant. Right now? Like it would be on the cards one day? When had that been an option? When had marriage and babies even been in the vicinity of the cards and how had she not known about it? Oh man she needed a brown paper bag.

"You two are so darn cute! Why on earth not? Y'all are successful, in love and happy right? Don't you give me none of this independent modern relationship nonsense. Heck all of us at the wedding are expecting the next invite to be to our local recluse's nuptials after your scene stealing during the speeches!" She laughed and Eloise did too, her little fist pumping excitedly. "See? Even Eloise heard about it."

Eliot tried to save the day, but Parker was struggling to process such a concept. She was cool with belonging to each-other, it made sense. But _married_? _Babies_? Really? Phew, she needed to lie down.

"Well we'll take that on board Lou, you give Cory and Maria our best now yeah?"

Lou clucked and smiled.

"Oh you two, I already picked out a hat, so I'll be ready. Life's short kids. Don't y'all forget it!"

Parker waved goodbye as the screen faded, and the call ended.

Eliot coughed.

"So strange day huh?" He tried to grin, but somehow his face couldn't quite pull it off and he ended up with a puzzled guarded expression that worried her. She kissed his cheek and hugged his neck.

"Pretty much." Then Parker laughed, genuinely amused and it felt good after the darkness of the day's hunt. "Louise is so funny. I mean, could you see me as a mother? Really?"

It was so out there, it rattled and tickled her in equal measure.

"Eliot? Eliot?" He had gone mute again, and was studying his hands in minute detail. She pulled back, nervously. "What I say?"

"Parker, I-" He shook his head and stood, pulling her to her feet beside him. "Come on, let's give Nate his place back. Dude looked whacked earlier."

She nodded, then as they reached the door, paused, tugging at the warm hand entwined with hers.

"Eliot what is it? What are you thinking?" His silence and reaction to Louise's teasing burrowed into her brain and she could almost hear the cogs in his head clunking over."Tell me."

He turned and cupped her face in his hand, eyes dark and intent and sad.

"You wanna know?" She nodded, lips parting in anticipation. "I was just thinking that a mini you wouldn't be all that bad that's all. Forget it. Let's go."

He kissed her hard and she was breathless when he stopped, and mind reeling from his short confession. A mini Parker?

"What if we had a mini Eliot?" The words popped out before her brain had thought them, and she gasped at them, unsure where they came from or what she wanted to know. It was all redundant anyway. Her and babies? No. Just, a little boy like his daddy? Oh wait, she was mentally calling Eliot daddy. How had that happened? Man that Louise had sure lit a torch on a touchy subject.

Eliot froze, and stared at her a little too closely, as if trying to figure out her angle, a caution in his expression that made her feel like a stalked rabbit. Like one false move and she could bolt.

"What if we did?" His words were neutral, but suddenly, Parker was off balance again. What was she supposed to say? They had only been together a matter of months. Wasn't this stuff for later? She swallowed, realising that actually, wanting the same things later kind of mattered now a lot.

"I think this is a pancake conversation."

He nodded, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The air in the room had all but vanished for some odd reason and she was starting to perspire.

"I think you're right darlin'. And tonight isn't pancake night." No, she thought thankfully. It wasn't. Then saw the slight dimming in his eyes at her obvious relief. Oh man.

"I do love you Eliot." Suddenly the need to say it scoured her veins and his slow smile in response calmed her manically beating heart. He let go of her hand and hooked an arm about her shoulder, kissing her forehead as they left Nate's behind.

"I know. I love you too thief. Don't worry. Pancakes can wait."

/


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Note: Sorry for the delay in posting. Couple of things happened: Laptop died. Work got crazy. My OH broke his leg. My new laptop refused to load word or OO. General R/L dramas conspiring to stop me write. I am sorry! I have only been able to log on to the net at work (tricky but necessary) or on my iPhone which makes me blind. So thanks for the messages I got, and apologies for any I have missed. Not intentional I promise. **

**So…yeah. Glad I can write again! Hope you can forgive my lapse-fingers crossed I am back for good. **

**As always feedback rocks. Xx**

"So when you gonna talk to Hardison?" Parker whispered into Eliot's ear as she crouched behind him in the shadows of the warehouse on the wharf. He turned to pierce her with grumpy diamond bright eyes. He was wearing a beanie and she liked it. He was always a bit more business-like in a hat though. Well, not the Stetson she had insisted on that time…

"Seriously Parker? You wanna talk about that now?"

"Sure, why not?" She shrugged; her hands on her knees as she bent over, eyes tracking the entrance to the warehouse they were watching.

"Okay fine." Eliot turned back to survey the building opposite. "Since you asked, I'll be talking to him at about half past none of your business."

"Eliot!" She thumped his shoulder playfully and he tossed a grin over his pummelled shoulder in response.

"Told you sweetheart, that's for me and him, not you. And we are on the job so shush the frick up."

"You could be a little less bossy you know." He couldn't help his dictator like tendencies but she didn't have to give him a pass on them.

"You liked it last night." Parker blushed, as he winked at her. Yeah. That. After getting back to Eliot's they had eaten, watched a movie about a guy stuck in an airport terminal that had been on TV then somehow ended up in a game of truth or dare. Possibly to avoid further exploration of the whole baby and marriage thing Lou had so kindly raised, but whatever the reason, Eliot and Parker had both been all dares. And it had been _good_. Kept the darkness away for awhile too.

"We're on a job so shush." She poked her tongue out at him and he grinned, bright and wide in the shadows then grimaced, as if remembering where they were. Ever the professional.

"It's been long enough, I'm going in. Holler if you see anything." She rolled her eyes at the hitter.

"Really? Thank God you reminded me what to do, that would not have been my first thought at all." She widened her eyes at him, doing her best Paris Hilton impression and he kissed her hard and swift before growling and surging toward the warehouse. She watched his figure slip away and sighed.

It was because of her the team were miserable and stressed. It was definitely _for_ her that Eliot was breaking into the warehouse opposite, to piggy back the security camera's with their own live stream connection. All the footage they had obtained from his sources had fell short, and having tracked the cameras positions, it seemed this warehouse and its feed was their best shot at seeing the guy if he came back. Which he had to. Otherwise they were screwed. Though Parker had plans to get the old deeds and plans from the demolition site and see if she could work out exactly who had owned the land before the place had been torn up. Since the site had been home to almost fifty properties it wasn't going to be exact but it was an avenue to explore. An eye trained on Eliot as he entered the building, she breathed again as he vanished and scanned the area, allowing the shiver of apprehension out now the hitter was not present. Stupid, but ever since the fire, she felt watched. Which was ridiculous and paranoid, but a visceral fear nonetheless. One she had no intention of letting Eliot in on. He had argued for almost an hour about her coming along as it was, and only acquiesced when she wore her full burglar kit and buried her blonde hair beneath a beanie of her own. Not that it had curbed his protective attitude. Until she started needling him at least.

The wharf was cold and quiet and the smell of the water was ripe tonight, and she wrinkled her nose in distaste. Eliot better hurry the hell up. As she watched the scene, she thought about Hardison and how distant he was being. Whatever Eliot said about it being a guy thing, Parker was getting pushed away too and it sucked. So if Eliot didn't handle it she would. The hacker couldn't carry on with his sarcastic strop forever. Whatever had triggered it, she would find out. Being Nate if necessary, that had been a very interesting exercise. What with him and Bunny giving her the cold shoulder it was starting to give her a complex. Bunny had not been impressed by the move into Eliot's. The fact she hadn't started looking for a place of her own yet was a bone of contention Bunny bought up all the time. But it hadn't been a week yet since the fire. And she was dealing with other issues like a serial killer trinket box of doom and random commitment pressures and a pissed off best friend and Eliot's sudden hyper attentiveness.

Not that she minded that exactly she thought, reflecting on how he had made room for her at his place. How he had subtly absorbed her into his life in a more permanent fashion than had been the case the last weeks of his recovery. She smiled. Then frowned as two guys in bulky winter coats and caps rounded a corner and made for the warehouse her hitter was currently illegally residing in.

Oh oh. That was not good.

"Eliot." She hissed, double checking her ear piece. No answer. "Incoming. Two. Now."

No answer. Balls. The guys looked rough and hard and entirely too much like Eliot rage bait for her to stay still. So she crept forward, trying the ear piece again. Static. Great. Once Hardison was over his bitch phase she was getting him to implant an ear piece in Eliot that could not be removed. Ever.

The large grey metal building seemed quiet as she approached, ears straining for signs of Eliot. Or an Eliot ass kicking being delivered if those guys had caught him. Eliot would be quiet, but the other guys never were._ Nothing_. Crap. Anxiety gripped her, as the fire, Bunny, hell the hacker's weird ass attitude all combined, the chest, the doubts she had about it, all tying up in a hard knot in her chest. Even though she knew Eliot would be fine, _knew_ it, she didn't hesitate as she slipped in through the door of the warehouse. Everyone needed back up right? If he wanted to yell at her later, well, she could deal with that. The silence? Not so much.

She knew she had messed up bad the minute she entered. The noises were muted but present. Damn. The walls being metal may have messed with the signal and her hearing. Maybe.

"Get down!" Eliot's gruff bark was immediate and she ducked as an arm swung and skimmed her head, and she swallowed. Oops. Eliot had already downed one guy and was now working over the other whom Parker had inadvertently walked up behind. The arm that just missed her was attached to a body Eliot pounded with a round house and he fell like ton of bricks to the dusty floor right before her eyes.

Eliot stared at her, breathing hard and she shrugged. He didn't look happy.

"So, who's watching the warehouse Parker darlin'?" He asked in a genial manner, but the undercurrent of reproof was loud and clear.

She shook her head, words failing her. At least he was okay.

"Let's jet before we get caught again. This place is full of pirate DVD's, they'll assume we're thieves."

"Well…we are." She cocked her head at him, and received a begrudging smirk for her trouble.

"No shit smart ass. C'mon." He caught her arm in the now familiar way he had and they were outside, the air dank, the sky black and four guys heading right for them.

"Parker-" Eliot growled her name, and she nodded, knowing she would be a distraction, and having caused the issue they now faced, figured she owed him a sliver of obedience. Wait. She frowned. Not obedience. She wasn't a freakin' dog. Wait. Goons at twelve o clock. Oh man her concentration was whacked since the board show and tell yesterday.

The fight was vicious and painful to watch. She forced herself to remain back; flinching for one of the guys when he spotted her and Eliot read his intention and dealt with it. That guy was gonna be seeing stars for a week after that knock out.

"You see why we need a look out hun?" Eliot grunted as he kneed one guy in the chest while elbowing another coming up to attack from behind.

"You didn't answer my warning. Get over it."

"I didn't answer because I was hiding. Giving away my position seemed less than prudent"-he accented that with a smashing blow to the guys knee cap as he dropped to his knee to take the dude down-"at the time."

"Well we really need a signal. An animal noise or something."

"Sweetheart," Eliot glanced at her, eyes flashing and adrenalin in full flow," are you suggesting a safety word? 'Cause that's a subject I'd much rather talk about-" His eyes widened and mouth twisted to form new words but they never came.

Parker was flung into the water by an unknown sub from behind before she got to hear the rest. The warning Eliot would never get to yell.

Instead she got the pleasure of the river. Swallowing her whole and dragging her into the icy black depths before she even managed to draw in a life preserving breath. Shit. Ice scoured her skin, the coldness a blade and her body an anchor designed to sink her to the river bed, when she was happy to let it go and have her thoughts and heart set free because it hurt, hurt bad as she fought to swim to the surface. No neat tuck and dive had allowed her to angle herself for impact and she was just a mass of limbs and pain and gasping lungs all working in panicked disjointed movements to get out, get out of the water dragging her in. So un Parker like. Even as her thoughts began to fragment and thinking got harder as her head pounded with cold, so much cold, she berated her lack of awareness.

From a distance, possibly the wharf, more likely another life by the sounds of it, she heard her name being called, bellowed, heard a splash and felt the roll as the current reacted and her body twisted further. No grace here. No acrobatic tricks could make her legs weigh less or her skin not raw with freezing teeth marks of the river rushing about her, no matter how calm it appeared on the surface. It was a watery jaw chewing her up and eating her alive. It was terrifying. She tried to scream, knowing Eliot had dived in after her-of-course he had, but it was a dumb idea since water invaded her lungs and her brain began to snap, snap, snap, images and memories and noises crowding her, wanting one last go around before she was gone and those things would be lost for good. Before _she_ would be lost for good. Horror got her then. Thrashing and kicking in an almighty burst of rage at the stupidity that led to this, the most stupid of gaffes, Parker thought, Eliot is really gonna yell this time. It made her smile, even in the watery hell hole stealing her from him.

She thought she felt him as the world went black and her mind gave up thinking since it hurt too much. And it made her sad.

Eliot hadn't spoken since they got back to his place. He had carried her up the stairs, wrapped in the blanket he had swathed her in in his truck having stripped her in record time and put her to bed after a hot shower. He towelled her down first, vigorously, checking her pupils, feeling for any injuries she may have acquired, and rubbed her hair dry till it shone. He came back with a couple of hot water bottles and a huge glass of juice and sat on the very edge of the bed, hands clasped, head bowed. His face as he stared at her, spluttering on the wharf was etched into her memory. Haunted was the only way to describe it. She drank at his insistence, the cleared her throat.

"You need to get dry too." Her voice was raw, and Parker figured she had screamed more than she realised. He nodded, beanie long gone, hair slick and wet and face set like granite.

He stood slowly, and stripped there in the room, his clothes soaked, from the river and the shower he had clambered into with her and his movements were controlled and methodical. Naked, tough, solid, he stood and put his hands on his hips as he paused, and she felt his emotions slice her as deep as the cold blade of the Charles had.

"Eliot I-"

"Parker darlin' don't say one more word, because by God I am all outta words."

"Thank you." He shook his head, not wanting her thanks.

"I'm handing the chest to Bonnano first thing Parker. This shit is done. "

"Eliot c'mon it's not that-"

"Yeah, yeah it is thief. Tonight was as simple a job as you can get and you nearly fuckin' drowned."

When his voice broke on the last word she patted the bed beside her and he sat, still not getting in, the sheets tucked about her extra tight to trap the warmth inside being generated from her body and the hot water bottles so adorably packaged in teddy bears.

"I know my concentration has been a little off, but I'll be fine, I swear I just-"

"Parker darlin'," he cupped her jaw and met her eyes finally. Oh man she almost wished he hadn't he looked so, helpless. So tortured. Guilt swamped her. "You nearly got burnt alive by some unknown sub still on the loose, you nearly drowned because we got caught out over basic B&E shit, c'mon enough is enough now. " She wanted to nod and agree so badly, just to ease the very real, very raw concern in his eyes. But she couldn't.

"You promised Eliot. Pinky swore. We prove the chest was at the site first."

"I was thinking about that. Fuck it, we re-bury it and send an anonymous tip. Job done. Finito. Ciao evil chest of doom."

"I can't rebury it." Her voice was small and sad. Weary too so she tried to smile as he caught her eyes fiercely, cupping her cheek in a rough palm, his strength palpable, his emotions bare.

"Yeah Parker you can. For me, please."

"Eliot I can't re bury it because they already laid the foundations where I dug it up from. The spot is gone. So even if I dump it there, it won't be where it was and it'll look like it's been moved and they won't even consider that the owner lived there. You know that. Just a soil sample can prove-"

"Jesus." Eliot closed his eyes and she tugged at his hand. Wanting to wrap her body around his. Thank him for saving her life. Apologise for him having to do so. Just…comfort the worry right out of him.

"Eliot get in. Please." Her head was clear but it still throbbed and felt like it would ache forever.

"I thought you'd gone." Gruff and angry and yet tender. Eliot. His shoulders were broad and tense and she ran a hand along his arm. Cold. He was cold. And bruised. It hurt her heart to see him marked, and not even wince as she stroked the discoloured skin with light hands.

"Get in this bed right now before you freeze you idiot." She held up one of the teddy hot water bottles as if he were issuing the order. Her teasing fell on glacial features.

"I'm the idiot? _I'm_ the idiot? Parker you left your post and the whole simple op became a fuck up of epic proportions and I don't know whether to kill you or kiss you I'm so pissed off."

"Kiss me. Way better option. Kill me later."

"Are you aware how serious this was Parker? Like are you dicking with me right now? I love you. I love you and just fished you out the river and you weren't breathing. The pout will not win this round lady."

"I'm sorry I nearly drowned." At her words, solemnly spoken, Eliot glanced up, and for a moment, the tension was strained again, before she winked at him, and he growled and kissed her. Hard. Then went along with her as she dragged him beneath the covers to warm up, her hands in his damp hair.

"Is my apology accepted?"

"No. Not by a long frickin' shot." He held her tight to him, and she rubbed his abdomen, wanting to reheat him, though his hands caught hers and he kissed her knuckles before sighing and kissing her forehead as he tucked it beneath his chin.

"Can you sleep with the light on Eliot?" She snuggled into him, the warmth between them flowing easily, settling into her bones and making her want to purr as the watery nightmare faded with every sweep of his hand on her back.

"Sweetheart if you think I'm sleeping tonight you are crazier than I thought you were." At least his tone was softer, the teasing back, though the statement made her worry. If he was over protective before, he was only going to get worse now. Not that she could blame him. She was losing focus. And tonight was a case in point on how that got you in trouble.

"Okay." She hummed against his chest and revelled in the masculine toughness wrapped about her. "This may be bad timing, but did you manage to tap the security camera?"

"Yes Parker, I did. And yeah, piss poor timing to ask." But he hugged her tighter so it was all right.

She bit him gently on the collar bone and he chuckled, before growing serious once more, staring at the ceiling as she looked up at his face. She wanted to say she understood how he felt. But it seemed redundant.

"I can't lose you Parker. Start wearing an inflatable fucking dinghy under your gear from now on. Got it?"

"Got it." Then she smiled. "Though a scuba kit may prove easier to disguise. I could pack a parachute too. You know, just in case."

"Excellent idea. And a Teflon vest of-course."

"A mini fire extinguisher seems worthwhile too, I should get right on that."

"Honey I'm starting to think you aren't taking me seriously again."

"Oh I am. Totally. Cross my heart."

Their eyes caught then, and the hitter rubbed his legs against hers, the rough hairs tickling her and imbuing further heat into her cool skin.

"I'll talk to H tomorrow." His hand gripped her shoulder as he pressed his mouth to hers. She smiled into his kiss.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Just don't die." A familiar gruff bark but the plea was heartfelt and made her smile. He was direct her hitter. Like the order would somehow stop bad shit happening by sheer will alone.

"Yes Sir."

"Parker you scared the shit outta me. And I don't scare easy honey."

"I know. I'm sorry." They lay wrapped together awhile, the light in the bedroom no hindrance to Parker's sleepiness as she began to drift, cocooned in Eliot's arms.

"Hey Parker?"

"Mmm?"

"I don't want to be Mr & Mrs Smith anymore." He sounded drowsy, despite his declaration that he wouldn't sleep, and she knew he was half gone. She tried to concentrate on what he was mumbling.

"What?" She tried to open her eyes, baffled by his tone, but they were too heavy and refused to respond, so she scooted closer, a tremor of nerves making her shiver. He rubbed her back immediately, his other hand stroking her belly.

"I think Mr & Mrs Spencer sound's more appropriate. Don't you?"

"Sure Eliot." She yawned, fighting to stay awake, eager to soothe him with agreeable noises. Then the words pierced the fog sleep was swallowing her up into.

Oh. _Oh._ Suddenly, sleep was easy to feign as she burrowed in and considered his words.

Huh. It did sound a little more appropriate on reflection.


End file.
